 In Germany they call these herbs Johanneskraut (St. John's herbs), and people bring them to church for a special blessing.In Scandinavia and in the Slavic countries it is an ancient superstition that on Saint John's Day witches and demons are allowed to roam the earth.As at Halloween, children go the rounds and demand "treats," straw figures are thrown into the flames, and much noise is made to drive the demons away.