Rituals and traditions of San Juan night

Noche de San Juan is celebrated in Spain on the night of June 23rd and this year, as is tradition,San Pedro Alcántara will observe the festivities on the Playa La Salida (San Pedro’s main beach). The fun starts at 7pm with entertainment for all the family, including free live music continuing until 4am.

Recreational areas including comfortable seating and restrooms will be provided, as well as the customary bonfire – a special dispensation for San Juan as fires are not usually allowed on the beach!
A traditional bar staffed by the Brotherhood of San Pedro will be serving alcohol and refreshments. This year will see many more bars than last year, together with extended hours for live music, DJs and concerts from local and national groups.

San Juan is a pagan celebration that commemorates the Summer Solstice. At midnight, roaring bonfires are lit on beaches throughout Spain, known as ‘juas’, and are to be enjoyed with friends, food, drink and sometimes fireworks.

Water and fire are the basic elements of the festival and it’s believed they create a mythical connection. The bonfire symbolises the cleansing of negative energy, with participants burning something old and personal to chase away bad spirits. The ‘muñecos’ (ragdolls) that are burnt at midnight originally represented Judas Iscariot, although nowadays they mainly represent local or national personalities.

According to superstition, jumping over a bonfire three times cleanses and purifies bad luck, but obviously this entails some risk, so it’s best to choose one of the ‘safer’ rituals, like bathing in the sea at midnight, jumping backwards over the waves to eliminate negative energy, or the simplest option is to simply wet your feet and make a wish.

Ultimately, San Juan represents a purifying night of rituals and fun that will be celebrated with gusto in San Pedro Alcántara, with hundreds of people on the beach marking the beginning of the summer and the high season that is about to commence. It’s a fun night and not to be missed!