One of the basic elements in any celebration for the night of San Juan is to light a bonfire, but do you know why? The truth is that fire is the protagonist tonight due to ancient rites and traditions, some of which are still done today. Let us know next, the 5 traditions that cannot be missing in the bonfires of San Juan.
The 5 traditions that cannot be missed at the bonfires of San Juan
The bonfires that are still lit today in some places during the night of San Juan , which is celebrated between June 23 and 24, are traditionally linked to what was the night of the witches , an occasion that occurred a few days later of the summer solstice to celebrate the arrival of summer, as well as to ask for a good harvest, that the land was fertile and the fishing was also good.
Today however, the bonfires that are lit on the night of San Juan are a symbol of good luck . The fire is no longer asked to have a good harvest, but it does somehow maintain the tradition of being a symbol for the arrival of summer (in fact, San Juan coincides with the end of the school year and in some way it is a celebration that marks the beginning of the holidays of many), in addition to having several traditions that we will review below.
Skip the embers
A tradition that takes place in many of the corners of Catalonia and the Valencian Community in which San Juan is a holiday. Being very careful, the tradition is to light a bonfire on the beach and once the fire starts to get low, the remaining embers should be skipped to make a wish while jumping or simply have good luck.
Jump the bonfire
It is more dangerous than jumping on the embers alone and it is not advisable to do so, but in the past you would jump directly over the fire to be “protected” against bad luck throughout the remainder of the year. It is also said that you should jump an odd number of times, but the truth is that people prefer to jump over the embers since obviously it is much safer.
Burn the old
Many people interpret the summer solstice as a renewal, so there is also a tradition of burning something that is old in order to indulge in a new season and, incidentally, renew energy. Although the bonfires are increasingly controlled, in some localities large bonfires are still lit from burning old furniture to receive that new energy and also, to have good luck.
Farewell to the school year
As we have commented, the celebration of San Juan is closely linked for students with the fact that classes finally end. Perhaps that is why it has become a tradition to throw the books of the course that has just finished or also the notes into the fire.
Make a wish
Another of the traditions around the bonfires of San Juan is to write something on a paper and throw it at the stake in order to fulfill the written wish. There is also the tradition of taking the ashes of that same paper and throwing them into the sea since it is said that on the night of San Juan the water purifies and also attracts good luck.
