The festival of San Juan is celebrated on the night of June 23-24 in Spain and is considered the main summer holiday countries. This fiesta has pagan roots and is dedicated to celebrating summer solstice, which is celebrated on a grand scale not only in big cities, but also in small villages. While vacationing in Spain in the summer, do not miss the opportunity to take part in this bright, unforgettable event.
Night San Juan in Spain
In a way, Holiday of San Juan in Spain comparable to our day of Ivan Kupala, although it has some features. Since ancient times, the Spaniards have celebrated this fiesta with the aim of driving away evil spirits and cleansing through fire.
The timing of the celebration was not chosen by chance. It is the night from June 23 to 24 that is the shortest of the year, thus symbolizing the superiority of light over darkness. The purpose of the San Juan festival is to give as much strength to the sun as possible. That is why fire is considered the main symbol of the holiday. Thousands of people in Spain go out at night and light large fires to help the sun lengthen the day.
Since ancient times, people have associated fire not only with the sun, but also with life. It was believed that a person looking at the flame of fire would be able to drive away evil spirits, be cured of illnesses, and cleanse himself not only spiritually, but also physically. During the celebration of San Juan, it was customary to remove unnecessary old things from the house and burn them. So the fishermen set fire to old gear and other damaged household items, symbolizing all the bad things that had accumulated over the year.
Celebrating San Juan in our time it takes place, perhaps, on an even greater scale than before.
Already during the day, citizens with family and friends take to the streets, dance, explode firecrackers, set off fireworks, have picnics in the open air and try traditional treats. As a rule, each area has a stage where performances and live music concerts are held. The festivities continue until the morning and, of course, do not happen without lighting fires. As before, old unnecessary things are burned in San Juan, but the main event of the holiday is large cartoon figures, personifying something negative, which are burned at midnight in the main squares of the cities.
Traditions of the night of San Juan
Water and herbs
In addition to the miraculous power of fire, during San Juan medicinal properties purchase water and herbs. According to legend, the water in the springs becomes healing. That is why one of the main ceremonies of San Juan is bathing.
If a person feels unwell or has any disease, he should definitely touch verbena, because at this time one touch to this plant can completely relieve the disease.
Fortune telling
Also, on the night of San Juan it is customary to tell fortunes. Even in ancient times, unmarried girls told fortunes about their future groom by dropping molten lead into water. In water, metal took on various forms. The girls looked at the figures as the outlines of a tool that the future betrothed should wield.
Nowadays, fortune telling has become more common. Exactly at midnight, you should take water into a transparent vessel, go outside with it and point it towards the sky. If the reflection of seven stars appears in the water, the fortuneteller will be successful. If the number of stars is paired, then you will have to make an effort to achieve your goals, and if it is unpaired, then you will not be able to achieve success.
Treats
Perhaps not a single holiday in Spain is complete without traditional treats. San Juan was no exception.
During the holiday, tables with a variety of dishes appear on the main streets and squares of cities, among which there is always a round coca pie. With its form it represents the sun. It is prepared both sweet and salty, more reminiscent of pizza. Trying a piece of this pie is considered the key to happiness and good health.
As a drink festive table Spanish champagne - cava - is served. Unlike the drink we are used to, kava has a more sour taste.
In Russia, the night of Ivan Kupala has always been one of the favorite holidays. Now we don’t celebrate it as widely, but we still love it. Warm summer, shortest nights. It's only sad because the day is starting to wane.
How do the Spaniards celebrate this day? Is the holiday celebrated at all and what is its name?
Every year, all of Spain is in anticipation of the shortest and most magical summer night of the year, which will come from June 23 to 24. Perhaps this day is celebrated there much more actively than here today.
End of June! The most enjoyable time. Summer is already in full swing, but the end is still far away. The nights are short and warm, which pleases everyone - both the younger generation, who is ready to walk around the clock, and the older generation, who worries about those walking around the clock.
It just so happens that in Rus' and Spain these days they celebrate essentially similar holidays, they even have similar names - St. John's Day and Ivan Kupala. Moreover, both here and in Spain this is one of our favorite holidays. We have begun to forget our traditions a little, so not everyone celebrates the holiday, but those who remember have fun from the heart.
This is a pagan holiday. It is dedicated to driving out evil spirits. And fire and water contribute to this, just like with us. Fire gives the sun strength! By the way, this is a good time to get rid of all the wooden junk in the house!
Have you ever jumped over the fire on Ivan Kupala? Surely yes. But not everyone knows that this is not only fun entertainment, but also a ritual of cleansing from sin. At least that's what our ancestors believed. The Spaniards believe too. And they also dance. A Spanish holiday without dancing is no longer a holiday. On this day they dance the dance of joy and wealth. Tourists willingly take part in this.
Bonfires burn throughout Spain on this night. The sight of fire itself is always mesmerizing. And when this happens on a warm summer night, and even on the seashore, it’s an amazing feeling.
This holiday is so popular that it is celebrated everywhere, in big cities and small villages. Bonfire, wine, good mood- that's all you need for happiness!
The Spaniards, like us, are trying to find a blooming fern to make their deepest desires come true. And in Spain they believe that there is definitely a treasure under such a flower. True, there is no official data that anyone actually found him. But the Spaniards don’t put wreaths on the water. They get into the water themselves! Out to sea! At this time it is already warm almost everywhere. And on the Costa Blanca it is very warm. We believe that water acquires magical healing properties at Epiphany, and the heat-loving Spaniards really count on Saint Juan in this matter. By the way, many Spaniards do not open the swimming season until this day, considering it a sin. Therefore, entering the water is a special pleasure!
Tables are set right on the street; if the town is on the seashore, then you can also set it on the beach.
Bonfires alone are not enough for complete happiness. It is difficult to imagine the fire festival without fireworks and fireworks. Thousands of colorful sparks fly into the sky and are reflected in the sea! Catalonia is especially famous for its fireworks on this day. These days, the famous fireworks festival takes place in the outskirts of Barcelona. Many people specially plan their holiday dates for this event, and those who live closer, in neighboring countries, come for this night to see all this beauty.
And what a spectacle it is from above! From the tops of mountains, from observation platforms, from the roofs of high-rise buildings! You see fire and fireworks from all sides! In short, “he who does not light a fire on San Juan does not “light the whole year.” (Qui encen foc per San Joan es crema en tot l'any). This is the middle of the year, a kind of “equator”, when there are 6 months left before Christmas, it’s time to take stock of what has already happened and take all measures so that the remaining time will bring only positive emotions. While the grooms are busy with fireworks and firecrackers, the girls are guessing, wondering about a meeting with their beloved one. Here again, a parallel can be safely drawn between us and the Spaniards.
And not only an unmarried girl, but anyone can tell fortunes simply “for good luck”.
At midnight, it is enough to pick up a transparent vessel with water and point it to the sky.
If 7 stars are reflected, expect good luck! If the number of stars is paired, success will come, but for this you will need to make an effort. If it is not seven, but another odd number, you will have to be patient and wait for your lucky hour for another year.
If bonfires and fireworks are not enough, you can go to the Citadel. The most popular festival, Festes de San Juan, takes place here on June 23-24. Horse riders from the island of Menorca show everyone their skills! A breathtaking sight.
On the Costa Blanca, San Juan is one of the favorite holidays. In Alicante it is celebrated cheerfully and on a grand scale. If you are vacationing or planning to vacation in these parts, you shouldn’t regret that you couldn’t go to Barcelona for the celebration. There will be a lot of impressions!
Bonfires, horse races, bullfights, music concerts, sports and many other events await guests.
On the streets you can dance and relax, having a snack in specially installed tents. You should definitely try the national flatbread made from tuna and figs! The festival always has its own queen. She is selected from the winners of a beauty contest in each district of the city. The fireworks here are simply amazing! When you stand in the night sea, a wave caresses your feet, you are waiting for some miracle, and then everything is illuminated by fire from all sides - isn’t this it, isn’t it a miracle?
And how can I put all this into words? No way. You just have to see and feel it. Oh, how do you understand tourists who come here a day, two or three after the celebration, because that’s how the “card fell”, their regret knows no bounds, the eyes of their hotel neighbors themselves light up like fireworks when they talk about what happened here just yesterday happened. So, if you are wondering what date you should buy tickets for in June, remember this holiday so that you don’t feel bad that you “missed” by just one day. But if one of the children is very afraid of fireworks, then on the contrary, it is better to think through the dates so that the child sees all this later, when he grows up, and the fear goes away. Finding a “quiet place where you can’t hear or be scared” that night may not work out at all. And often, for example in Alicante, fireworks light up the sky not just for one night, but for several days.
Costa Blanca lives with this holiday for a whole week. In advance, amazing giant figures made of cardboard and wood grow on the streets and squares of Alicante, which are then burned. Installation sometimes takes several days, they are so large. This is already a tradition.
By the way, about flatbreads, pies and other treats. Of course, on this day they drink a lot of wine and sparkling cold cava - Spanish champagne. What do they snack on? All sorts of goodies!
One of the traditional dishes on this day is Coca de San Juan pie. You must definitely try it for happiness to come to your home. There is a treat for every taste - sweet for champagne, salty for beer. For wine - as you like. Which piece would you like? A sweet pie is a pastry with fruits and candied fruits, and a salty pie is made with tuna, sausage and cracklings! All this is prepared according to different recipes, each family has its own cooking secret. But there is one thing general rule. For wishes to come true, certain proportions must be observed. The length of the pie is exactly twice as long as its width! True, not everyone knows about this rule.
Just as we bake Easter cakes at Easter, the Spaniards bake these “cakes of happiness” in June. Or buy it in a store. There may even be lines outside the bakeries. They take it for themselves, for friends, for guests, just like we do on Easter days. With the salty version - they came up with a great idea, it seems like it’s no longer a dessert, but a main dish, and the additives can be different!
Take yourself on an adventure! A bottle of cold champagne by the fire on the seashore, a fragrant, soft pie, fortune telling by the stars, romance and love. Just be prepared for the fact that at any moment something might catch fire or explode loudly somewhere nearby. More for children romantic dates It’s too early to think, so they have fun, scare couples in love with firecrackers. A wonderful day when no one forbids playing with pyrotechnics.
Every night from 23 to 24 June, Spain is illuminated by thousands of bonfires - the Bonfires of St. John the Baptist, marking one of the most special nights of the year - the eve of St. John's Day or the Night of St. John (Spanish: Hogueras de San Juan, cat. Fogueres de Sant Joan). Hundreds of cities celebrate the arrival of the summer solstice with a ceremony in which fire acts as a catalyst for ancient rituals and traditions of a magical night full of symbolism. On this shortest night of the year, the arrival of summer is celebrated. The holiday is especially popular in the Catalan lands, for this reason some Catalan nationalists call June 24 the national day of the Catalans. The festival with large bonfires to jump over is held in many cities (Jávea, Benidorm, Teulada Moraira, Torrevieja...), but the largest is in Alicante, where this festival is one of the most significant.
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| Bonfires of St. John, 2005 |
The history of this holiday goes back to ancient times, when pagans celebrated the summer solstice. On the shortest night of summer, people praised the Sun, the main life-giving force. It was believed that at this time the door to the other world opened slightly, and daily life includes miracles. The symbols of the holiday were fire, water and medicinal plants. People burned fires all night, swam in ponds and collected herbs. The Spaniards are very sensitive to these traditions and collect verbena, clover and valerian, believing that the herbs picked on this magical night have miraculous properties, special magical power. Sometimes the Catalans call the Feast of Saint John “Verbenas” (Spanish: Verbenas de San Juan). According to ancient belief, it is necessary to light a fire on this night, because in this way a person is cleansed of his failures. On this occasion, there is even a saying in Catalonia that says: “Qui encen foc per San Joan es crema en tot l`any” (“Whoever does not light a fire on San Juan does not “light” the whole year).
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| Francisco Zurbaran. San Juan de la Cruz, 1656 | Detail of an engraving by Father Fray Juan de la Cruz from the "Book of Descriptions of True Portraits, famous and unforgettable people" Francisco Pacheco (1564-1644), [Seville] Royal Academy of History (Madrid) A man depicted as a Franciscan monk native of Seville, lived between 1545 and 1582 |
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| Coca with vegetables |
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| Coca royale |
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| Coca St. Ivan is a sweet pizza, which is prepared once a year: on the day of St. John the Baptist |
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| Night of Saint John. The photo shows the famous espetos de sardinas (fire-grilled sardines). |
The exact date of birth of espetos de sardinas is unknown. However, the first records of this dish date back to the end of the 19th century. The painting "La Moraga" (1879) by the Malaga artist Horacio Lengo reflects this way of preparing sardines on the beaches of Malaga. Chronicles of King Alfonso XII's visit to Axarquía in January 1885 indicate that he tasted these famous espeto. In 1882, El Palo already had its first establishment selling espetos de sardinas. Local historians agree that the first to come up with this special way of preparing fish were fishermen who took advantage of leftover fish and cane fields near the beach to prepare espetos de sardinas.
A sardinero cook is a job in demand and highly paid. But also very heavy. Try cooking thousands of sardines over an open fire under the scorching sun during the day - it’s very difficult! Malaga's most famous sardinero chef is the Pole Damian Nowak. He is very proud that he was able to get such an atypical job for a foreigner. These chefs, like the sprat sellers, are very loved by the residents of the city, so they also erected a monument to them on La Malagueta beach.
One of the first chefs to use sardines as an integral element in their cuisine is Sergi Arola. His latest culinary invention is a Tartarian sardine steak served with tomato ice cream and meerschaum. Another chef, Diego Guerero, winner of two Michelin stars, recently presented a sardine dish in a pot at his restaurant El Club Allyard. At Kabuki, chef Ricardo Sanz, renowned for his own Spanish interpretations of Japanese cuisine, has introduced the classic sardine with bread crumbs and tomato to his menu. One of the best chefs in Valencia is Ricard Camarena, who recently proved with his dishes that sardines go very well with rice. And in Andalusia, for several years in a row, Dani Garcia at his restaurant Calima has been pampering visitors with wonderful Moorish-style sardines in a special tomato sauce. You can also taste excellent smoked sardines with olive pits at the Aponiente restaurant, chef Angel Leon.
Secrets of cooking sardines at home
Christiano Alvarez invented a wonderful recipe a few years ago in which the sardine must first be thoroughly peeled and cut into pieces, then placed skin side down, salted and briefly placed in the oven. In a frying pan, fry the pepper and garlic until golden brown. Then season the sardine with a bite (though I think lemon juice it will be better) and, having spread the fried mass into pieces, simmer it all a little in the oven. Ready!
However, real espeto de sardinas are prepared exclusively on the beach. Why? It’s very simple - only on the beach do sardineros cooks have the right to light an open fire. And espeto without fire is like shish kebab without coals. It doesn't work. The second reason is that when cooked, sardines smell very strongly of fish (and cooked ones too), so in any closed room the smell becomes almost unbearable and indestructible. I still smell like the sardines I cooked a week ago at my house!
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| but it also happens... |
On the night of June 23-24, absolutely ALL they light bonfires, set off fireworks and eat copious amounts of La Coca. This is how the Catalans celebrate Ivan Kupala - the holiday of summer, fire and sun. Coca is a typical pie, it can be sweet or savory, there are many variations. The most popular option is made from puff pastry with cream and pine nuts.
½ liter milk, 4 eggs, 100 g sugar, 2 tablespoons corn flour, 1 cinnamon stick, peel of one lemon, puff pastry, pine nuts
Beat sugar and 4 eggs well. Add corn flour a little at a time and keep stirring. Set aside.
Bring the milk with a cinnamon stick and lemon peel to a boil (over medium heat). Strain the milk from the cinnamon and lemon. Remove from heat.
Add beaten eggs with sugar to the milk and mix well. Put it on fire again (medium). Keep stirring until it thickens. Remove from heat and set aside.
Roll out the dough (2 identical sheets), place on a greased baking sheet. Pierce with a fork. Spread the cream onto the dough. Cover with a second sheet. Brush with egg white, sprinkle with sugar and nuts.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (bottom and top), bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.
After June 24, the holiday does not end, but on June 25 it moves to Postiguet Beach and continues until June 29. During this time, fireworks competitions, sporting events and a medieval street fair are held.
Other cities are not far behind. The tradition is well known in Andalusia, Asturias, Galicia, Cantabria, Castile, Leon, Valencia and the Balearic Islands. Here are some of the most popular holidays in Spain:
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| Riazor Beach Bonfires of St. John in A Coruña (Galicia), declared a festival of international importance in 2003, attracts up to 100,000 people annually |
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| Festival of Saint John in the Citadel (Balearic Islands) |
In Barcelona, as in other coastal Spanish cities, bonfires are lit right on the seashore. According to tradition, a torch must be lowered from a mountain called Flama del Canigo (Flame of Canigo), from which all the lights of this night will be lit. A cheerful crowd, shouting, fireworks, music, night swimming in the sea - a fiesta in which some plunge headlong into, and from which others try to escape away from the city.
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| Las Fallas de Isil (Lleida) |
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| Flama del Canigó (Tarragona): to light fires in the villages, flames are brought from the neighboring mountains |
On this night, the sardana or sardanes (cat. sardanes) is always performed in the squares - a traditional Catalan dance of joy and brotherhood, the embodiment of the pride and unity of the Catalan people. The dance is of a round dance nature - its participants line up in a circle and, holding hands, make certain movements to the music. The number of participants is unlimited, so anyone can take part. The beauty and enchanting mysticism of the action lasts all night, which does not prevent its participants from consuming large quantities of wine and coca pies, tasting which is considered the key to health and happiness.
There is no exact date and place of appearance of the sardana, but it is known that the dance has been popular since the 16th century. Sardana expresses the national spirit of the Catalans and symbolizes their unity. This dance was also called “protest dance”, because it is performed not by professional dancers, but by ordinary people, not on stage, but in the square. By the way, during the dictatorship of Franco, who held power for 30 years, from the late 1940s to 1975, sardana was officially banned. Franco considered the Catalans a threat. He mistook their desire to be independent and deep-seated national pride for arrogance and arrogance, and treated this as a personal insult. His antipathy towards the Catalans was so strong that he passed many destructive laws in an attempt to suppress the traditions and language of Catalan culture, making Spain unified. Therefore, he banned Catalan traditions and also introduced a veto on communication in the Catalan language. Nowadays, there are mainly two types of this dance: the historical original style - short sardana (sardana curta) and the more popular modern style- long sardana (sardana llarga).
What is a sardana? People line up in a circle. This may be a circle of exclusively men or women, or there may be people of both sexes, or couples in love. In a genuine sardana, people take part by being in casual wear, people of all ages join in the dance. They hold hands and raise them up, moving behind the leader, who sets the movement and rhythm. The movements in the sardana are incredibly clear and performed with extreme care, one wrong step and you will throw the whole circle off rhythm. Therefore, it is recommended to watch without participating. Dancers can be very upset by an awkward traveler who will fit into the circle and disrupt the entire rhythm. When the sardana circle becomes too large, more circles are formed, and as a result you can see a marvelous picture of 4 or 5 round dances. Sardana is accompanied by a “cobla”, so to speak, a small group of musicians with bass instruments and a solo flute “flaviol”, whose rhythm (6/8 time signature) is set by a tambourine.
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| Quema de Juanillos (Cadiz) |
On Tenerife, the largest island in the archipelago of the seven Canary Islands (Atlantic Ocean), the center of the celebration of the night of St. John is traditionally the Playa Jardin beach in the city of Puerto de la Cruz: places on the sand here must be taken in the evening. At midnight, thousands of people will rush into the ocean, because only today water has magical powers and will protect against illnesses and misfortunes for the whole next year. And the lights on the shore are designed to ward off all evil spirits, which are especially insidious and active on this night. However, the Festival is celebrated throughout the archipelago, but especially in Gran Canaria and its capital, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, founded on St. John's Day in 1478 by Juan Rejon and the troops of Castile after the victory over the Guanches (the indigenous population of the Canary Islands ). In 1492, Christopher Columbus stopped in Las Palmas before his first voyage to America. On his way back to Spain he also stopped in the city. Today, a museum in the city's Vegeta quarter is named in his honor. At the end of the 16th century (1595) there were several attacks on the island by English corsairs (John Hawkins, Francis Drake). However, Las Palmas was not taken. The city also withstood the onslaught of the Dutch navigator Pierre van der Doyes (1599). On June 28, 1599, a decisive battle took place between Dutch and Spanish troops, after which the Dutch were forced to forget once and for all about their claims to the Canary Islands. In honor of this victory, the Cathedral of the Canary Islands (Catedral de Canarias) was built, dedicated to St. Anne, the patroness of the city. So it's fun these days.
Asturias celebrates Saint John's Day with enthusiasm, but its Celtic past strongly influences the rituals and traditions that welcome the arrival of summer. Fairies, winged serpents, goblins and fauns are common on St. John's Night in Mieres, one of the most popular festivals.
Preparing the smoldering coals on which festival participants will walk in San Pedro Manrique, Soria province in northern Spain.
Celebrating the San Juan Festival is one of Barcelona's most magical traditions. Les festes del foc, which means “festival of fire” in Catalan, is celebrated in Valencia and the Balearic Islands in addition to Catalonia. The reason for the celebration is the summer solstice, that is, the shortest night of the year. The Catholic Church named this day in honor of San Juan Baptist. This holiday is famous for noisy parties, fireworks on the beach and a great mood that does not disappear throughout the night. Like anyone big holiday, the San Juan festival in Barcelona has its own characteristics: on the shortest night of the year, Catalans light bonfires on the beaches, perform rituals, and welcome the arrival of summer with great joy. In this article we will tell you what the holiday will be like. San Juan in 2019.
How is San Juan celebrated in Barcelona?
Source: unsplash
San Juan is a special holiday for the Catalans, which takes place on the night of... 23 to 24 June, on the day of the summer solstice. The whole city turns into one continuous party: no one will be able to sleep. Every minute the noise from the explosion of firecrackers is heard from different directions, the eyes do not have time to admire the firecrackers that do not stop launching, the crowds sing and dance right in the streets, allowing the city to become an accomplice in the celebration. The most important event is delivery Fire Canigo(la llama del Canigó) on Sant Jauma Square(Sant Jaume). This is the sacred fire of the same name Pyrenees Mountains. On the evening of June 23, the fire is delivered to the square, from where it will spread to all areas of Barcelona. Traditionally, fire is greeted with Àliga de la Ciudad, a mythical creature. All this to the sound of the song “Muntanyes del Canigó”. After this, the real “fiery” celebration begins - everyone stays for a walk until the morning.
