Midsummer feasts 150 years ago: Some dishes are now almost extinct

Midsummer celebrations 150 years ago offered a stark contrast to today's feasting, resembling more of a picnic than a traditional Lithuanian feast. Professor (name not provided) explains that Joninės lacked specific "mandatory" dishes and was typically celebrated outdoors around bonfires, not at a formal table.

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Midsummer is not Christmas Eve or Easter. It was a celebration that did not have any specific or 'mandatory' dishes. Midsummer also didn't have a table, as it was celebrated outdoors, by the bonfire.

Food during these celebrations was simple and portable. Historical accounts from Bishop Motiejus Valančius describe young people gathering in birch and oak groves, lighting large bonfires, and dancing. Participants brought simple fare such as bread, raguolis (a type of rye bread), cheese, butter, boiled eggs, and smoked sausage or bacon. Valančius also mentions freshly boiled "varškėtus klickus" (a type of curd dumpling), indicating a more rustic menu.

A significant difference lies in the consumption of fresh meat. While grilling fresh pork or beef is commonplace today, it was virtually unimaginable in summers past due to the absence of refrigeration. Fresh meat was typically only available during slaughter season in late autumn and winter, with summer meat being preserved through salting and smoking. Fresh chicken might be slaughtered for smaller occasions, and a sheep or calf for larger events like weddings or funerals.

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In the past, before refrigerators, fresh meat was only eaten at a certain time – slaughter time, usually late autumn and winter. Then it was salted, smoked, and thus survived until summer. In summer, only a chicken might be slaughtered. Sometimes, for larger gatherings – weddings, funerals, festivals – a sheep or calf was slaughtered.

The modern abundance of fresh meat and the rise of grilling culture, particularly for dishes like shashlik, represent a natural evolution of traditions. As lifestyles have shifted from rural, agricultural work to urban living, and food production methods have changed, so too have celebrations. The professor notes that customs are not static; they adapt to changing realities, allowing traditions to survive. Today's celebrations reflect a society with greater food security and a willingness to create new traditions alongside evolving old ones.

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Midsummer is like a small Christmas in summer, when friends and family gather around the Midsummer bonfire and grill. Just as Christmas cannot be without duck or potato salad, the shortest night's celebration cannot be without deliciously grilled dishes, shashlik, and roasts.