Tonight San Juan 2021 is celebrated and, according to tradition, you have to jump the bonfire to fulfill your wishes and attract good luck. However, it is not enough to do it only once. Specifically, you have to jump the bonfire seven times, although in Galicia the custom is to jump at least nine times.
What is the night of San Juan?
The night of San Juan is a festival of pagan origin. It was celebrated to welcome the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere. Later it was Christianized and marks the date on which, according to the Bible, Saint John the Baptist was born. The sacred texts indicate that Zacharias ordered a bonfire to be lit to announce the birth of his son John.
Main traditions: jumping the bonfire of San Juan
This year, unlike the previous one, the bonfires of San Juan will be celebrated in different towns of the Spanish geography. Of course, attendees must comply with a series of anti-COVID measures: mandatory use of the mask, capacity and safety distance. If you dare to go to any of them, will you be so brave to jump over the fire?
If you want to get a bigger reward and you live in a coastal area, you have it easy! On the night of San Juan there are two great protagonists: fire and water. You have to get into the sea and jump nine waves with your back to the sea to eliminate negative energies.
Another of the oldest and most popular traditions that exist is to wash your face , but without looking in the mirror. You should do it right at midnight to stay healthy throughout the year. Now, you have to spend the night without looking in the mirror because otherwise it will not work.
And finally, before going to sleep, don’t forget to write a wish on a piece of paper . Then, put it under the pillow with a branch of ordinary hydra, and light a candle. Let it burn overnight and in the morning, as soon as you wake up, burn the remaining candle on the paper. Then bury the wax along with the ivy, and voila!
Finally, we want to highlight that Saint John’s Day is a holiday in two autonomous communities: Catalonia and the Valencian Community. In the rest of Spain, June 24 is working.
