On the night of 23 June Catalan towns and villages celebrate the Feast of Sant Joan (St. John' s or Midsummer's Eve) and welcome in the summer It is the shortest night of the year, shrouded in magic, symbols and legends. Sant Joan is a night to discover.
What are we really celebrating?
Sant Joan is the night of the summer solstice, when the sun reaches its highest point, after which it begins to wane. The Feast of Sant Joan venerates the king of stars as a symbol of fertility and richness, with bonfires being lit to give it the strength it is losing.
What are the symbols of Sant Joan?
-
In fact fire or bonfires are one of the three symbols that form the basis to this night's ancient rites. Fire is the purifying element which liberates us from misfortune, so, on the night of Sant Joan, we feed it by throwing old furniture onto it. The most popular fire in Catalonia is the Flame of Canigó, which spreads through towns and villages every year to light the bonfires.
"Qui encén foc per Sant Joan no es crema en tot l'any" (He who lights the fire for Sant Joan will not burn all year round)
-
The second symbol of Sant Joan is water. They say during this night all water has curative powers, so, in some places, it is the custom to bathe in the sea or cover yourself with meadow dew at the break of dawn.
"Bany de Sant Joan, salut per tot l'any" (Bathe on Sant Joan and you'll be healthy all year round)
-
Herbs are the third magical element of Midsummer's Eve. It is a night when plants are believed to multiply their remedial properties a hundred times and some, like thyme, rosemary, or verbena, the herb of Sant Joan, are collected for treatments.
"Les herbes de Sant Joan tenen virtut tot l'any" (The herbs of Sant Joan retain their virtues all year round)
How do we celebrate the festival?
All these symbols and legends come together on a night of partying and togetherness when bangers are the star of the show. Children and teenagers have fun lighting rockets, bangers and flares while enjoying the light and colour spectacular provided by the fireworks. Adults get together for Revetlles (St John's Eve) parties livened up with music and Cocas (sweet breads) during the few hours of darkness between sunset on 23 June and sunrise on 24 June, which is properly speaking the Diada de Sant Joan (St. John's or Midsummer's Day).