San Juan

It isn't often that we head for the beach at 1030 at night but we made an exception on the spur of the moment on Thursday when we saw an article on the evening news about the fiesta of San Juan, which is a highlight of the year for many Spaniards.  It is now, at least nominally, a Christian festival - 24 June being St. John's Day - but the roots of the festival go back to pagan times and it essentially celebrates the longest day of the year which falls three days earlier on the summer solstice.

Rather than celebrate the solstice with a few druids at a stone circle such as Stonehenge, the tradition in coastal areas of Spain is to head to the beach for dinner and/or drinks sitting around a bonfire and celebrate the arrival of the 24th at midnight by venturing into the sea and jumping over the fires while making a wish.  The festival is one of purification and renewal, hence getting in the water and the use of fire to burn old things that people no longer need.  Old chairs seem popular choices for the bonfires (people having sat on them waiting for midnight) as do students' notes, because the 23rd is also the last day of the school year here before the long summer holiday begins.

Fires on Oliva beach at midnight 

We tried two different beaches both lined with bonfires, first the stony beach at Almadrava next to our favourite Restaurant El Tresmall and then the long sandy beach south of Oliva.  Despite the lack of  sand, Almadrava proved very popular, probably because it is possible to get cars right onto the beach itself.  The locals like to save their legs by getting their cars as close as is physically possible to their chosen spot and accordingly literally hundreds of cars had squeezed down the narrow street and on to the path that runs at the back of the beach.  

The beach at Oliva is less accessible and drew a generally younger crowd.  On the stroke of midnight large groups went into the sea, jumped up and down in unison a few times before returning to make their wishes while jumping over the fires.  Of course in these tough financial times for the public sector the cost of the clean up the next day still has to be met.  We should record however that, in the interests of austerity, a number of local authorities did cut out the giving of wood and instead people had to bring their own.