This is one of my favorite celebrations in Barcelona. Actually, I think it happens in all of Catalunya and Valencia but I've really only witnessed in Barcelona and Sitges. It takes place during the night of the 23rd of June to the 24th because that is the shortest night of the year (i.e the summer solstice).
Though the origins of the celebration are unknown, most people agree in viewing it as pagan ritual that was incorporated by the Church into the modern world, just like Christmas. Some paganists say that it is the "opposite" of Christmas Eve and therefore the Devil's night.
Whatever its' origins, it's an incredibly beautiful and rich celebration of fire. In fact, an alternative non-Christian name for the celebration is Nit del Foc (Night of Fire). Bonfires are lit individually, by families or in large groups i.e. a small town might have a communal fire for everyone (see pic). The idea is to burn anything useless that one has accumulated in the past year. Symbolically, you are renewing yourself by burning away the things you don't need, anything old or useless. In the old days, fire was also seen as a protector in the sense that it would burn away any bad spirits or thoughts haunting your house or town.
I have not been lucky enough to be in Barcelona during this night in quite some time so I don't know that they still do it, but when I was a kid, there used to be a bonfire at pretty much every major intersection of the city, which made for a very magical night.
There are also fireworks on Montjuich, which are gorgeous and light up the beautiful mountain. And the tradition is to drink Cava (our version of Champagne) and eat Coca. There are many different traditions associated with this night, way too many for me to mention here, but I'll post some of my favorites:
- one is supposed to stay up all night during the Nit de Sant Joan
- Correfocs also come out that night. The word literally means "run fire". Men or women dress up as little devils and carry some sort of metal paraphernalia that keeps fireworks (i.e. fire) coming, which literally makes them look like some sort of devil (not the evil kind) running in a ball of fire. Some of them will also dance and play music.
- kids are allowed to set off fireworks all night long
- it is said that this night is the chosen one for all sort of mythological creatures and spirits to come out of hiding, so get ready for some sightings
No comments:
Post a Comment