Dita e verës known as the summer day is an ancient pagan feast, originally created in
Elbasan, which is my hometown. Even though it's now a national feast, we are the ones who still celebrate it rigorously.
In this day we all wear verore, which is a swirled bracelet made of two threads, a red and a white one. In two weeks we take it off and hang it in a rose branch, so that swallows can take it and use it as a construction material for their nests. This is considered as good luck.
Cooking ballokume is another tradition of this feast. In other cities people buy them in stores, but in Elbasan, we still cook them by ourselves. Then we exchange them with relatives and friends.
Important thing of the day: Lunch with family at your place!