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adoration of the sun, the cult of fire and the belief that they
were bound were common in numerous civilisations. In North Catalonia
and the other Catalan regions the day of Sant Joan does not
breakaway from this tradition. The origins of this festival
are buried in the night of the summer solstice. The evening
of the 23rd June, before the shortest night of the year, is
the most festive on the Catalan calendar. The celebrations take
place in the most remote rural communities as well as in the
towns to mark the beginning of summer. In Perpignan the town
centre is busy with spectators of the hugely popular festival.
This is an occasion for visitors to discover the strength of
Catalan culture and spirit.
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Pyrotechnic Sant Joan
in Perpinyà |
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motive for the gathering and a symbol of purification is the
bonfire of Sant Joan. It is lit by the Flama del Canigo which
has been relayed by runners from Canigou’s peak to the villages
of North Catalonia and the towns of the south: Figueres, Girona,
Vic, Barcelona and Valencia. Organised since 1955, this ceremony,
which unites all generations and social strata, signifies the
unity of the Catalan region and the erasing of borders. In this
sense the festival of Sant Joan is wrapped in the symbology
of peace, of love and of togetherness and is the national festival
of Catalonia. Many rites are attached to this summer solstice
festival. For example, on the morning of the 24th June, before
the sun rises, people collect the herbs of Sant Joan – each
possessing a therapeutic quality. The herbs are la sempre viva
(the everlasting flower), le perico groc (St John’s Wort), le
mort i viu (the mayflower) and la noguera (a walnut leaf). These
are made into a bouquet and then hung in the doorways of houses
for protection. Each year a new bouquet replaces the old one
and doing this on Sant Joan’s day signifies the end of one cycle
and the beginning of another.
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