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SANT JOAN |
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SANT JOAN |
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Sant Joan is a festival which has a long tradition. The people of the Mediterranean country worshipped the nature powers. One of these customs, was the bonfire on the "summer solstice" to celebrate the shortest night of the year, on the twenty fourth of June.
But in 680 AC., the bishops prohibited to make a bonfire of the "summer solstice" because it was pagan. But people continued with the tradition, the festival was christianized and transformed into Saint John's festival (festa de Sant Joan).
In 717 a. C., the Moors were in our country. There is a song which tells us about this period
| Lo dia de Sant Joan Es dia d'alegria. Fan festa els cristians I els moros de la moreria. |
The day of Saint
John Is a happy day. The christians have a party And the moorish too. |
. In the Middle Ages, the people believed that in this night the witches, dragons, and the bad spirits infested the air and people jumped over the bonfires to be purified.
Now on the night of Sant Joan, people make enormous bonfires everywhere on the streets and you have to jump over the fire. It can be dangerous sometimes. We eat a special "coca de Sant Joan" and we drink "moscatell" (this is a sweet wine).
