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Noche de San Juan
On the night of 23 June, Spaniards light beach bonfires, jump the flames and write wishes to be burned, in a rite of cleansing at midsummer.
About Noche de San Juan
In Spain the Noche de San Juan is celebrated on the beach and in squares with bonfires, fireworks and food. People jump over the fire three times to cleanse themselves of the old and bring luck, write down troubles or wishes on paper and burn them, and dip into the sea at midnight; some say washing the face in the sea or with morning dew on San Juan's morning brings health and beauty. In Alicante the hogueras, large sculpted bonfires, are burned, and in Catalonia the Flame of Canigó is carried down from the mountain. The date matches older midsummer customs across Europe, and the Church placed St John's feast on it. Today it is a social event with a strong holiday atmosphere.
Entries tied to it
More entries linked to Noche de San Juan
Written by the EveryJaadu desk with AI assistance. Background: "Saint John's Eve" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family, and are described as belief and practice. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Midsummer: Kora27, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bonfire: S Marshall, CC BY 3.0, source
- Walpurgis Night: Luis Ricardo Falero, Public domain, source