The legend of Sant Joan

The Celebration of Sant Joan, also named popularly like the Night of the Fire or the Night of the Witches, is a celebration that talces place during the shortest night of the year,23th and 24th June.
The origin of this celebration is not clear.One says is a pagan origin in the Christianity. A kind of remain of the parties for the solstice of summer. However, there one that says is a mocking origin at the night of Christmas and therefore the most damned should be scared of the devil.
Gastronomy
This night, people have dinner, it is usual to make family gatherings or to go to some popular party with tables prepared near a bonfire. Then they eat every kind of cakes. In Catalonia, the most usual is the cake of Sant Joan of sponge cake and candied fruit, but also a provision, of llardons, pine kernels and of many other kinds. Long ago, the cakes for this day were circles with a buttonhole in the middle, which with some kind of antique rites . Nowadays, the standard size is usually cànònica.
As it is holiday, it is was related traditional to take wine or cava.

Fire
The night of Sant Joan has always been related with traditions set about the fire.It's called the Night of the Fire. It is a common belief that the flames drive away and frighten the imaginary beings , in this day they are more intense and in more number.
During the Franco's regime it was attempted to end with the party to consider it pagan and unbecoming to the Christian people, but all over was continued secretly with.
The children participate in the party flares and throwing away bulbs (also called onions), explosives that are activated on the floor and they are so feeble they are completely harmless.
As they become older, the parents keep on allowing them to make use of more powerful explosives. Starting with the puiles and harmless strings of fireworks and ending with very powerful firecrackers that is necessary with precaution.
The night fills up with fountains of light and the sky of artificial rockets of many different colors.
In order to avoid misfortunes, the authorities have dictated restrictive laws about the qualified age to be able to buy material for the fires of artifices of this night, but it can not be avoided that every year there are accidents of more or less gravity. Due to the bonfires , the firefighters, usually have to be operating during this night.
During the days former to the festivity stands exist where to buy firecrackers.

Dances and dances
Nowadays, the dances for saint Joan have remained reduced in the strictly folkloric area, but had been very widespread everywhere, often like a way to stock up the fire or simply to make it see. It was a matter of round dances that were made about the bonfire. Where the sardana was popular sardanas were danced, but in|on the rest of territories they used to be folk dances sung by the same dancers and deprovide with any instrument. In each people|village they had its|his|her|their own singsong, howeverdue to the kind of celebration in the one that the festivity has been converted today, they have ended up disappearing, or at least, converted into parties of tinned music. In Felanitx, Waking Up, North Wind of Mallorca, from Mallorca, and to Pollença the dance of saint Joan Pelós continues being danced. Dress with a clothing of ancient|antique origin with loud colors, is a character who represents saint Joan Baptista with the expensive cover|deck with a mask, which is strolled by the people|village on the day of saint Joan, while dancing to|in the sound of some primitive instruments.

 

Song of Sant Joan______Cançó de Sant Joan

English_______________Catalan

Vespers of Sant Joan _____________Vespra de Sant Joan,

a great racket: __________________un rebombori gran:

the small drum is heard,____________se sent el tabalet,

the shawm and people_____________la dolçaina i gent

that cheerful it hurries,_____________que alegre s’afanya

as group,______________________a tall de comparsa

forming parade_________________formant desfilada

happy and passionate___________feliç i exaltada.