As the summer solstice approaches, Spain is gearing up to celebrate La Noche de San Juan (St. John’s Eve) on 23 June.
The annual midsummer party on the weekend coinciding with the shortest night of the year sees Spaniards honour the birth date of San Juan – John the Baptist in English – and many parts of the country have their own traditions based heavily on the purifying and cleansing elements of fire and water.
In the Serranía de Ronda the event is often celebrated in with the construction of small bonfires in the main plaza or bull ring. The locals write their wishes on scraps of paper and toss them into the flames in the hope they come true.
In coastal regions revellers tend to head for the beach, constructing hogueras, or bonfires, around which they eat, drink and dance before typically having a midnight ocean dip.
Effigies representing Judas Escariot might also be thrown into the flames, while in some areas party-goes make wishes known as juras before leaping through the fire three times and heading for the sea to cleanse their sins for the year ahead.
