How to Celebrate St.
John’s Day
England
The feast
of St. John the Baptist, is one of the quarter days in England. The town of
Midsomer Norton, in Somerset, England, is said to be named after the Feast Day
of St John the Baptist, which is also the parish church.
France
In
France, the "Fête de la Saint-Jean" (feast of St John), traditionally
celebrated with bonfires (le feu de la Saint-Jean) that are reminiscent of
Midsummer's pagan rituals, is a catholic festivity in celebration of Saint John
the Baptist. It takes place on June 24, on Midsummer day (St John's day). In
certain French towns, a tall bonfire is built by the inhabitants in order to be
lit on St John's Day. In the Vosges region and in the Southern part of
Meurthe-et-Moselle, this huge bonfire is named "chavande".
Ireland
In some
rural parts of Ireland, particularly in the north-west, Bonfire Night is
held on St. John's Eve, when bonfires are lit on hilltops. Many
towns and cities have "Midsummer Carnivals", with fairs, concerts and
fireworks, around the same time.
Italy
The feast
of Saint John the Baptist has been celebrated in Florence from medieval times,
and certainly in the Renaissance, with festivals sometimes lasting three days
from 21 to 24 June. Such celebrations are held nowadays in Cesena from June 21
to 24, also with a special street market. Saint John the Baptist is the patron
saint of Genoa, Florence and Turin where a fireworks display takes place during
the celebration on the river. In Turin Saint John's cult is also diffused since
medieval times when the city stops to work for two days and people from the
surroundings comes to dance around the bonfire in the central square.
Puerto
Rico On
the island of Puerto Rico, originally named San Juan Batista,
after the saint, by Christopher Columbus, a night-long celebration
is held. After sunset, people travel to a beach or any accessible body of water
(e.g. river, lake or even bathtub) and, at midnight, fall backwards into it
seven or twelve times. This is done to cleanse the body from sin and give good
luck for the following year.
Scandinavia
In the
Scandinavian countries, in which the evening is called Sankt Hans or Jonsok,
short for Saint Johannes or Saint John's Wake, the tradition is to gather
around a large fire. In some countries (Denmark) a witch burning is included.
The witch is represented by a doll, often made by the children, wearing old
clothes and having an evil look. This evening is a large celebration, often
enjoyed together with drinking, dancing and festiveness for the whole town. In
Sweden the celebration is called midsummer and takes place on a Friday close to
the actual date. Swedish historian Olaus Magnus in 1555 recorded this
traditional outdoor celebration including numerous bonfires,
dancing and singing of traditional songs.
United
States Historically, this date has been venerated in the practice
of Louisiana Voodoo. The famous Voodoo
priestess Marie Laveau was said to have held
ceremonies on the Bayou St. John, in New Orleans,
commemorating St John's Eve. Many New Orleans residents still keep the
tradition alive.
In Other
Countries http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_John's_Eve
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