Every year, the eve of San Juan is filled with tradition and mystery. It is common that in many parts of Spain the night before the name day many towns are filled with bonfires, one of the most traditional activities on this date.
Also in Tenerifewhere over the years fire and smoke have moved closer and closer to the coast, leaving the bonfires of the neighborhoods of yesteryear just a redoubt. Puerto de la Cruz, Guía de Isora or Santa Cruz de Tenerife are some of the municipalities on the Island where most novelists gather around this mystical night.
They say it’s the shortest of the yearalthough that honor actually corresponds to the day on which the summer solstice is celebrated. Although in the end it doesn’t matter because it is an excuse to meet up with friends and have a good time.
This year the calendar has also been generous: the bonfires of San Juan will take place on a Friday. Specifically, this June 23 will be when the flames drive away the bad in a good part of Tenerife. Or so say those who believe in it.
Where are you from?
Although its beginnings are uncertain, it is most likely that this tradition began as one of the numerous sun cults that civilization has performed for centuries. For example, in the case of the Celts, they celebrate a festival in which they lit them to welcome the good weather and ask the sun not to leave the sky.
The common denominator of this type of celebration is usually the same: to scare away bad omens. It should not be forgotten that since the beginning of time the sun is considered the source of life and therefore worshiped in all cultures.
Although these types of rites are mostly associated with paganism, but the truth is that tThey also have their version in Christianity. In fact, in the Bible it is said that Zacarías, husband of Isabel, cousin of the Virgin Mary, ordered a bonfire to be lit to announce the birth of his son, who would eventually become Saint John the Baptist.
