Hogueres de San Juan - Bonfires of St. John
23 June

Since ancient times, the villages of the Mediterranean coast celebrated the coming of the summer solstice around bonfires that cleansed and purified.  Thursday June 23rd is the shortest night of the year in the northern hemisphere.  Of pagan origin the fiesta symbolises the victory of light over darkness with the lighting of bonfires on the beach believing to chase away bad luck. The Hogueras de San Juan, Bonfires of St. John, is a huge fiesta held to honour St. John the Baptist..

Figurines and effigies are constructed out of wood, paper mache or cloth filled with straw and are usually set alight on the beach.  Young people, doused in water, throw their bad experiences into the flames and jump over the bonfire to free themselves from guilt or evil. As the clock strikes midnight there is the tradition of jumping over the flames and burning of pieces of paper, with your hopes and dreams on them, and old rags and furniture before jumping in to the sea to purify the soul and eliminating all negativity.

Thousands of people travel to the beaches or seashore to spend a pleasant and festive evening in the company of family and friends.  During the festivities, a beauty queen or "fire beauty" is crowned and together with her attendants they parade through the streets carrying bouquets of flowers as an offering to La Vergen del Remedio (Our Lady of the Remedy).