Festival of San Juan - 23rd/24th June 2009

A reminder for anyone visiting San Juan in June, the main midnight Festival takes place on the shortest night, with picnics and bonfires on the beach here in Terreros. Last year there was music and dancing on the beach and the village was partying until the early hours. If you can have your visit coincide with this Festival, it is well worth preparing for a late night.

The main night time festival will fall on the night of 23/24 June, in general in Spain they have the Festivals on the relevant days rather than move them to a weekend.

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23rd / 24th June - Night of San Juan. Certain festivals seem to summarize life in Spain, with its love of having a good time in the company of friends and loved ones. The Night of San Juan is one such of these events. It is a celebration that is usually held on the beach with roaring bonfires, drink, food, and friends. It can be a memorable, almost surrealistic scene and one that needs to be experienced.

June 24th. The date remains a magical night in much of the northern hemisphere. Mythology states that strange occurrences can occur on this shortest night of the year. Certain pagan gods, for instance, make themselves visible during this night and we mere humans also give thanks and realise that the seasons of harder times are about to come.

So welcome to the magical night of San Juan. San Juan is about changes. It is about night to day; it is about fire to water. Fire purifies and water recuperates, refreshes, and rejuvenates
In Andalucia, San Juan is celebrated on the night of June 23rd with some towns, allowing the beaches to be used as campsites for a single night. On the beaches it’s common to see people jumping over fires which, according to legend, cleanse the body and the soul. Jumping in the sea at midnight is supposed to be a way to wash away evil spirits.