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 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.
In Andalucia, San Juan is celebrated on the night of June 23rd with some towns, such as Motril, in Granada, allowing the beaches to be used as campsites for a single night.
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.
According to tradition, if people jump three times over a bonfire on San Juan's night, they will be cleansed and purified, and their problems burned away.
It is ritual that rules at San Juan.
After midnight, for example, people wash their faces and feet three times in order to be granted three wishes and for a happy twelve months thereafter.
A maiden is said to be able to see the face of her future husband or lover reflected in the water as she washes after midnight.
Bathing at this time is also said to be beneficial for skin complaints.
Traditionally, the Spanish did not visit the beach until this day in each year.
The sight of hundreds and even thousands of people wandering into the water after midnight with the haze of bonfires everywhere can be close to awe inspiring.
As well as the bonfires that burn continuously, there are also muñecos or dolls that are burnt. This is usually done around midnight. Originally, the effigies were supposed to represent Judas Iscariot but now, the religious relevance seems to have become secondary to the enjoyment factor.
Depending where you experience San Juan, you might find yourself almost entranced by the spectacle. In some places, hundreds upon hundreds of fires dot the coastline. The smell of smoke permeates the air and there is a feeling of camaraderie that crosses age, culture, and background.
History
The Festival of San Juan dates back to pre-Christian times and is an ancient pagan festival.
The long tradition of the festival held at the start of the summer solstice goes back to the sun worship of the pagans who were seeking for sun in order to yield a large crop. The days around the 23rd of June are the longest ones of the year and the sun shines with maximum intensity so it’s logical that the celebration of this event is dedicated to the element fire.
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| Sun setting into the Mediterranean on the eve of San Juan |
In the ancient pagan tradition the rituals of this night were supposed to purify and clean human beings from their sins.
Later this festivity was christianised in honour of San Juan the Baptist.
It was important for the upcoming Christianity community to celebrate similar events to the pagans in order to make it easier to spread their beliefs.
The celebration of the birthday of San Juan was so close to the summer solstice that it inherited a lot of pagan rituals mostly the ones that were related to purifying fire according to the function of San Juan the Baptist in the bible.
St. John's Cake - Coca de Frutas de San Juan
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| Coca San Juan |
The "Coca de Frutas de San Juan" is the traditional sweet prepared on the feast of St. John in June. It is a light sweetbread with candied fruit scattered throughout, as well as on top. It makes the perfect sweet to accompany a cup of tea or coffee at breakfast, brunch or for an afternoon snack.
Prep Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours, 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 envelopes (1/4 oz each) dry yeast
- 4 cups unbleached white flour
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- rind or zest of 1 lemon
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 egg white
- several types of candied fruit – oranges, cherries, etc.
- 3 Tbsp pine nuts, optional
Preparation:
Grease a cookie sheet and set aside.Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm milk in a glass measuring cup. Melt butter.
Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl. Make a hole in the center of the flour. Add eggs, sugar, yeast-milk mixture, lemon zest, salt and cinnamon to the center of the flour. Stir slightly.
Add canola oil and melted butter to the bowl. Mix thoroughly, while adding water a bit at a time until a soft dough is formed. (The amount of water needed will depend on temperature and weather conditions.) Form a ball in the bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel and leave it in a warm place, out of drafts. Allow to rise until dough has doubled in size.
Heat oven to 350F (176C) degrees.
Turn the dough onto the greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle flour on the dough. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin to the form of a long oval, about 1/2-inch thick.
Lightly beat the egg white. Brush top of coca. Decorate with the candied fruit and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Place the baking sheet in the oven for approximately 20 minutes or until coca turns a golden brown. Serve warm.
