Fogueres de Sant Joan
The Feast of the Bonfires of Sant Joan are the Patron Saint Festivals of Sant Joan of Alicante, which are celebrated annually between the 20th and 24th of June in honor of San Juan Bautista, the patron saint of the municipality.
This festival has great antiquity in Sant Joan, since, since the Christian conquest, the first church located in the mosque of the Islamic period was dedicated to Saint John the Baptist and the town took this same name. The importance and devotion to Saint John the Baptist goes back a long way, since in the Second Synod of the Diocese of Orihuela held in 1600, the festival of June 24 was granted the status of precept, along with that of the Degollation of Saint Juan of August 29.
The original festival was celebrated with a popular character and included religious acts in honor of the titular saint, among which the procession stood out and also other secular acts typical of popular festivals such as dances, games, parades and other entertainment, these focusing especially on Calle del Mar, where San Juan was considered the patron saint of the street, therefore acquiring the category of ‘Sant de Carrer’ here, in addition to being venerated by the entire town.
Furthermore, on the night of San Juan, between June 23 and 24, coinciding with the summer solstice, the gardeners burned wood and old junk in numerous bonfires, symbolizing the transition to the new summer stage, fulfilling an ancestral tradition.
In 1928, in the city of Alicante, coinciding with the festival of San Juan and taking the idea of traditional bonfires, the current bonfires began to be celebrated thanks to the impulse of several enthusiasts such as Mr. José María Py.te with the solstice. In the summer, the orchardists burned wood and old junk in numerous bonfires, symbolizing the transition to the new summer stage, fulfilling an ancestral tradition. They were wooden and cardboard monuments made up of ninots, very similar to those of the Valencia Fallas. It was the takeoff of the official festival of the city of Alicante, which in turn caused the decline of the San Juan festivities, which timidly remained with their simple festive events.
However, in 1967 the Alicante custom of bonfires with ninots ended up reaching Sant Joan. That year, some neighbors formed the Peña Bullfighting Club of Palomo Linares, among whom were Mr. José García Gálvez, president and soul of the festival for many years. With a surplus amount from the club, they decided to fund a party for San Juan’s Day and set up a bonfire by the artist D. Ramón Marco. To carry it out they had the help of the residents of San Antonio Street and Maisonnave Square. A Bellea was also appointed for the festivities, a representative figure of indisputable importance in any fire commission.
In 1969 the bonfire was formalized as a festive commission and these festivities began to take place with all their events and characteristics. A few years later, the bonfire began to be built by the commission along with the children’s bonfire that was planted for many years in the market by the neighbors’ hobby. Between the 70s and 80s, the bonfires of the town of Sant Joan lived their years of splendor, generating a great hobby on the part of many residents who planted monuments and barracks in numerous areas. Some neighborhoods such as Navarregui or Canyaret stood out for being especially fogueriles. However, the bonfire festivals declined in favor of the Christ festivals and currently there is only the Plaza Maisonnave Bonfire Commission, originally created in 1969, which currently plants three bonfires: Plaza Maisonnave, the largest and children’s playground, and Plaza de la Constitución.
Currently the previous events begin with the Presentation of the Llibret and the Election and Coronation of the Belles and Senior and Children Ladies of the festivities, who wear the costume adopted for this celebration, as in the city of Alicante, clothing designed by D. Tomás Valcárcel Deza after the Civil War. The Bonfire Proclamation and the Fire Parade are also held, with the assistance of commissions from the city of Alicante and the city’s Bellea del Foc.
The festival begins on June 20 with the bonfire plant. This day it is typical to consume coca amb tonyina and bacores, which are two of the typical products of bonfire days. The Bonfire commission also plants the barracks next to its main monument and there the meals, dinners and the night and day party of these festive days are held.
Throughout these days, the awakenings, parades, and visits of the commission to different places in the municipality take place, also participating in the events that take place in the city of Alicante such as the Entry of Bands and the Offering of Flowers to the Virgen del Remedio, patron saint of the city.
On the 23rd, St. John’s Eve, the main events of the festivities begin with the evening Offering of Flowers and Fruits to the saint, in which numerous festive entities participate. On the night of the 23rd, traditional San Juan night, the sobaquillo dinner and the old-fashioned bonfire of old junk are celebrated, following the tradition of the orchardists. This bonfire was recovered years ago by the Lloixa Cultural Association and brings together a large number of people who come to enjoy the fire and the water that the firefighters throw to put out the flames once they have reached their zenith. After the burning, the party continues at night in the bonfire racó.
The 24th begins with the awakening of gunpowder, music and bells. At noon the High Mass of San Juan takes place and after the traditional lunch of this day, the mascletà is fired. In the afternoon, the main event is the San Juan procession that runs through the main streets of the municipality accompanied by neighbors and devotees. The image carries, usually tied to one of its hands, a cluster formed by figs, referring to the typical fruit of these dates and to the traditional Valencian saying: “Per Sant Joan bacores, green or ripe, but safe.”
At night, after dinner at the racó, the long-awaited cremà takes place. The neighbors accompanied by the music band walk through the main streets proceeding to burn the three fire monuments, but not before having saved the pardoned ninots. During the cremà there is never a lack of fireworks, the now customary banyà to relieve the heat of the flames and the sounds of the bonfire hymn by maestro D. Luis Torregrosa García.
Did you know that...?
The San Juan Night festival, coinciding with the summer solstice, is one of the most widespread throughout the Mediterranean and part of Europe. It is especially celebrated throughout our geography and has a symbolic and magical character, in which water and fire come together, with numerous rituals taking place around both elements. On our nearby beaches, especially, it is common to find several groups of friends and families who come to dine on the sand and shortly after improvise their bonfires among which they sing, jump, dance and drink.
Saint John the Baptist, second cousin of Christ, is the only saint whose name day is celebrated on the day of his birth, June 24, and not the day of his death, August 29. In Sant Joan d’Alacant the date of martyrdom, already declared a precept for our people at the beginning of the 17th century, has also been celebrated on many occasions. The well-known festival of Sant Joan el Degollat included vespers, solemn mass and cloister procession with the artistic image of the head of Saint John placed on a silver tray that traveled under a small red canopy carried by children. In addition, popular dances were performed in honor of the saint. The festival disappeared with the Civil War and was not recovered until 1999 when the bimillennial of the birth of Saint John the Baptist was commemorated. Since then, it has been celebrated on a few occasions.
The main image of Saint John has presided over the main altar of the church since the creation of the temple. One of those that disappeared in the Civil War and that was located in the presbytery was donated by Mr. Juan Maisonnave Cuyatar, who spent the summer on the Villa Marco estate while his brother, Mr. Eleuterio, lived on the beautiful Abril estate. After the civil war, a large one was made for the main altar and another smaller processional one for which the sculptor specified a child and a lamb as models.
