The Sânziene Painting
100x160cm, acrylics on canvas
The flowers picked on the day (and night) of Midsummer (June 24), caught in wreaths or tied in the form of a cross, were taken to the local church to be sanctified, and were then kept in the household to treat diseases or drive away all evils. Moreover, at this time of the year, it was a good opportunity to gather medicinal plants, all of which gain maximum effectiveness, being at their growing peak. On the night of Sânziene or, originally, Drăgaica (an ancestral feminine deity celebrated at this time of the year), the elusive white fern flower is said to bloom and whoever finds it and picks it is blessed all year round with good luck.
