St. John's Night is celebrated around the world on June 23rd to mark the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. It commemorates St. John the Baptist and involves lighting bonfires and jumping over flames as a symbol of purification. In Catalonia, the Flama del Canigó flame is taken from the top of Mount Canigó and used to light over 30,000 bonfires across Catalan towns in a show of Catalan national pride and culture. The festival is celebrated with families gathering around bonfires and eating traditional cakes and pastries like the Coca de Sant Joan.

1. by Mariona Ortiz

2. 
All around the world they know what’s the “St
John’s Night”, but this festivity is celebrated
and translated in a lot of ways and languages.

3. 

This festival celebrates the shortest night of
the year, the summer solstice.
But it is also a Christian Holiday, that’s why
it’s a Feast Day. It’s the eve of celebration
before the Feast Day of St John the Baptist.
It’s exactly six months before Christmas, as
the Bible says.

4. 

The fire is the most fundamental element
associated with this celebration. It’s very
present in this festivity.
It’s a symbol to give thanks for bountiful
harvests. In many countries, such as Croatia,
bonfires are lit on the evening of 23 June for
people to jump over.

5. 
In Catalunya, since the year 1966, mountain lovers
and Catalan nationalists take down the “Flama del
Canigó” from the top of the mountain and they carry
it in reliefs around the “Països Catalans” to ignite the
bonfires of the night. The flame leaves the top of the
Canigó in the early morning of 23rd June and starts
spreading around the territory. About 30.000
bonfires are ignited that night with the flame of the
Canigó.

6. 
In Catalunya, the
“Revetlla de Sant
Joan” is a very
special day. It’s
celebrated a little
bit different from
the rest of Spain.

7. 

Like in a lot of festivities, in the “Revetlla de Sant
Joan” we also eat special food.
On this night, for dinner, the family usually gather or
people go to a popular party around a bonfire. Then,
all kinds of cakes or “coques” are eaten. In Catalunya
and the País Valencià, the most popular “coca” is the
“Coca de St Joan”.