No person celebrates festivities with fairly the identical aptitude and variety as Spain, and Saint John’s Eve (June twenty third or twenty fourth) is not any exception.
Saint John’s Eve or the feast of Saint John, often known as El Día San Juan in Spain, is a celebration that normally entails parts of fireside, dancing and animals.
In Spain, San Juan is both celebrated on June twenty third or twenty fourth, but it surely falls near the summer season solstice on June twenty first and bears some resemblance to Midsummer celebrations in Scandinavia and different northern international locations.
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In easy phrases, Spain’s Día San Juan was born from the Christianisation of the pagan ritual of celebrating the summer season solstice.
Whether or not or not it’s effigy burning, dousing one another with water, or touching the stomach of a prancing stallion, San Juan revelries happen from coast to coast and are a few of the hottest fiestas in all of Spain.
Townsfolk in coastal areas of Spain will head to the seaside for an evening of revelry round enormous bonfires, with dancing, ingesting and feasting usually culminating in a midnight dip within the ocean.
There are nevertheless different San Juan celebrations which are much more weird, in some instances – as is usually the case throughout Spanish festivals – with some questionable therapy in direction of animals.
In Alicante elaborate effigies are paraded by the city earlier than being thrown into the flames whereas the streets pulsate with music, dancing and firecrackers, just like Valencia’s festivities throughout Las Fallas.
An enormous papier-mâché effigy burnt throughout San Juan in Alicante. (Picture by JOSE JORDAN / AFP)
Menorca has an odd custom which sees horses (and their riders) gallop, dance and prance by crowds whereas onlookers try to the touch the equine’s stomach, a feat that ensures good luck for the 12 months.
A horse rears up on its hinds legs as the group tries to the touch it throughout San Juan celebrations in Menorca. (Picture by JAIME REINA / AFP)
In Catalonia, the Sant Joan events are held on the night time of June twenty third. The next day can also be a public vacation, which residents normally have to recuperate from the night time earlier than. The firework explosions start a minimum of every week beforehand as everybody readies themselves for the massive night time. On the night time itself, crowds collect on seashores to set off and watch spectacular firework shows, while consuming coca (a neighborhood sort of candy bread) and ingesting cava.
Revellers within the sea benefit from the Sant Joan fireworks show in Catalonia. (Picture by JOSE LUIS ROCA / AFP)
Revellers in Lanjarón, within the Alpujarras space south of Granada, select to rejoice midsummer with an almighty water combat when residents use each receptacle at hand – hoses, buckets, water pistols – to drench one another.
Within the Pyrenean city of Isil close to Lleida (Catalonia), residents mark Sant Joan by zigzagging from mountain prime to city sq. carrying burning branches. After an enormous bonfire, townsfolk dance till daybreak.
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Within the Tenerife city of Puerto de la Cruz, goats take centre stage in the course of the celebration of the Baño de las Cabras. Goat herders deliver their herd to the seaside and the bleating animals are (considerably reluctantly) dunked into the ocean. The occasion has its origins in an aboriginal ritual celebrated by the Guanches – the primary Canary islanders – to mark the summer season solstice.
A boy plunges a goat into the water in the course of the conventional “Baño de las Cabras” (goats bathing) as a part of San Juan celebrations in Puerto de la Cruz in Tenerife. (Picture by DESIREE MARTIN / AFP)
Within the Basque village of Bakio, evil spirits are banished by the “Zanpanzar” who stomp to the rhythm of big cowbells.
Whereas in San Pedro Manrique in Soria province (north-central Spain), the midsummer ritual entails males strolling barefoot over scorching coals with out burning their toes… Oh, and with the added problem (and weight) of carrying a girl on their again.
Wherever you might be in Spain, Pleased San Juan!
