The festival of San Juan takes place on 23rd June and is
celebrated in many countries around the world. According to Wikipedia, it’s a
day for recognising the birth of Saint John the Baptist, but in Valencia we
were told that it’s a celebration of the start of summer; a time for people
to welcome in the new season and to wish for good fortune in the second half of
the year.
The festival is celebrated all over Spain in varying ways,
but usually involving a bonfire. Along the Mediterranean coast, celebrations take
place on the beaches, starting in the evening and continuing well into the next
morning. In Valencia, tens of thousands of people set up camp on the many
beaches, securing their spots early, and digging large, round pits. These pits soon
become fires and shortly after become barbecues.
On our way to the beach we saw people carrying big sacks of
wood, and the aroma of smoke and food hit our nostrils the moment we got off
the tram. I was unsure what to expect. The last beach party I went to of this
scale was the Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan when I was twenty. I imagined this
wouldn’t be as crazy…but I was wrong. It was a different type of crazy, but crazy
nonetheless. To sum it up succinctly, it was a family friendly Full Moon
Party.
The groups that gathered around their fire pits BBQ'd the
night away, enjoying the delicious food and each other’s company. There were
toddlers and kids running around and going into the sea; drunk youths and older
folks alike, all in varying states of disorderliness. Eighteen-year-olds took
the opportunity to celebrate the end of exams by burning their unneeded
textbooks. Katie even joined some girls and helped them burn their English
textbooks. Is that like a priest burning a bible? No, it’s not! Our two guests, Anya and Charlotte, had just finished
their A-level exams, so they shared the same sentiment and metaphorically burnt
their books that night as well.
Of course there were some fireworks (it's Valencia after
all!) and a few little Fallas-like structures being burnt. But the main event
of the festival took place at midnight, in the sea. Although people were
enjoying the sea the whole night, at the stroke of midnight it got serious. Big
groups ran into the sea and jumped over waves, making a wish with each wave.
No-one was really sure how many waves to jump over (three, seven, or nine?) so
we just made sure we did an odd number and hoped for the best! The Mediterranean
is very warm in June and it was refreshing on such a warm, smokey evening.
It was an unusual event and I think the best way to enjoy
the festival would be with a big group, a fire pit with food, and hundreds of
chilled beers. We had a good time though - the four of us with beer, but not
enough food for my liking.
We know better for next year…