St. John’s Eve.
If you are thinking that in Spain, we take advantage of any event to celebrate a party, you are not wrong. But, first of all, from your Spanish language school, El Rincón del Tándem, we want you to know more about the St. John’s Eve, which is celebrated on the night of the 23rd to the 24th of June.
Let’s get started!
Origin and symbolism.
Although it has the name of a religious feast, it has pagan origins and predates the Christian religion. Traditionally, people used to light bonfires to send strength to the sun and make the summer nights shorter.
When the Christian religion was adopted, the celebration was moved to the birth of St. John the Baptist, the prophet who baptised Jesus.
Both in its pagan origin and in its Christian version, the symbolism of the festivity has always been the same: to get rid of the bad times and burn the negative memories to make way for a new stage of the year.
Surely if you’ve been to Valencia you’re familiar with this meaning… aren’t you? Las Fallas in Valencia, St. John’s Eve in the northern hemisphere of the planet or the Máslenitsa festivity in Russia… both in Spain and in other cultures, fire has been a powerful symbol due to its capacity to purify, transform and renew.
St. John’s Eve in Valencia.
Saturday, 22nd of June
As you can see, the night of St. John’s is not just any night. Here are some recommendations if you are in Valencia.
You already know that we are in a Fallas city, so on the 22nd of June, you can find street groups, bonfires and street parties (verbenas) in the streets. All the verbenas will be open until 3am.
Here are some recommendations that will be useful if you are in the centre of Valencia:
– Falla Maestro Gozalbo-Conde Altea: you will be able to see their bonfire and go to the verbena.
– Falla Plaza Mercado Central: you will find a verbena from 11:59hpm.
Sunday, 23rd/24th og June.
The urban beaches of Malvarrosa and Las Arenas are the main places to go for those who want to celebrate this special night. If you prefer to have a slightly quieter magical night instead, we recommend the beaches of Jávea, Calpe or Elche.
Of course, if you decide to go, you must take part in the most typical rituals:
– Jump the bonfire: to have a year full of luck you have to jump the bonfire. This way you will clean your bad energies.
– Burning a piece of paper with your wishes: write your wishes on a piece of paper and burn it in the bonfire to make them come true.
On the other hand, in the beginning, people dedicated this night to worship nature and the elements that allowed them to live, such as rain and air. But sadly nowadays, every June 24th the beaches are covered with rubbish.
The popularity of St. John’s Eve has lost the sense of magic and respect for the environment that it had in the beginning. Therefore, if you are going to celebrate it in your city, don’t forget to take care of the beaches as if they were your home.
Besides, it won’t be necessary to take the car…
In fact, bus lines (19, 25, 31, 32, 92, 93, 95, 98 and 99) will extend their timetables to facilitate access to the beaches. Likewise, the metro and tram will provide uninterrupted service throughout the night.
We hope that our article on St. John’s Eve has encouraged you to celebrate the shortest night of the year in Valencian style, always respecting the beach and its surroundings.
Finally, from our Spanish language school El Rincón del Tándem, we suggest you take this opportunity to practice Spanish and continue learning the language outside the classroom😊.
