An old Latvian belief: bringing dried St. John's wort home in early autumn warded off evil
According to Latvian folk beliefs, dried St. John's wort was traditionally brought into homes at the start of autumn, believed to protect the household from evil and misfortune. The custom is tied to the older practice of drying plants for the winter season.
Since ancient times, September has been regarded as the period when nature prepares for winter and people complete their final preparations for the cold season. Alongside harvesting and stocking up on supplies, dried plants kept in the home held both practical and symbolic significance.
St. John's wort as a symbol of protection
One plant given special meaning in folk beliefs is St. John's wort. In earlier times it was dried and kept in homes because people believed it could protect the household from evil, misfortune, and negative influences.
This belief in St. John's wort's protective power forms part of a broader tradition in which dried plants brought into the home during autumn carried both practical and spiritual meaning. Such customs reflect how people in earlier times viewed nature and its products as a means of influencing daily life and warding off trouble.
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