Nit de Sant Joan Barcelona 2013 
Sant Joan Barcelona 2013 is the midsummer celebration in also called the Festival of Saint John. Sant Joan has many names. It is most often called the "Nit de Sant Joan" which means St John's night, but also often called "La revetlla de Sant Joan" in Catalan, or in Spanish called "Verbenas de Sant Joan." Or even just the "Nit de Foc" - night of fire. All the names refer to the same event - the festival feast of Saint John the Baptist to celebrate the solstice Spanish Midsummers Eve during the evening and night of 23rd June every year. Bona revetlla a tots!
Overview of Sant Joan Barcelona
The Nit de Sant Joan is a very festive, fiery and fun night. There is no central fireworks display or specific programme for the Sant Joan celebrations in Barcelona. Sant Joan events in Barcelona are organised locally by the districts and civic centres of Barcelona and people just celebrate the evening with dinners, parties, firecrackers (not so much fireworks) and bonfires all over Barcelona and Catalunya. The biggest central gathering on the Nit de Sant Joan is on the beaches of Barcelona, which attract crowds of around 75.000 people. The day after the Nit de Sant Joan is a public holiday, so the party goes on until sunrise and all the clubs and bars in the city organise Sant Joan parties. On the links below you can see where to find parties and events (revetlles populars) bonfires (fogueres), where you can buy firecrackers at pop-up stands and shops all over Barcelona (parades de petards) and read about Sant Joan traditions
 Website 2013 Sant Joan festival
Map of firework stands on Sant Joan
Map of bonfires in Barcelona on Nit de Sant Joan
Map of organised Sant Joan events in Barcelona
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La Nit de Sant Joan
Sant Joan in Spain marks the start of the summer. This is is the midsummer solstice celebration, which is the day that has the longest period of daylight in the year (not to be confused with the "equinox" days, which are the days when the day and night are of equal length. The equinoxes occurs twice a year usually in March and September.) The Nit de Sant Joan celebrations in Spain and Barcelona are in the evening on 23rd June. The next day is 24th June, which is Saint John's day and this is a public holiday in Catalonia and Spain. The Sant Joan festivals and fiestas are from sunset on 23/6 to sunrise on 24/6 on the eve of Saint John's day. The Sant Joan festival is often called "La Nit de Sant Joan" - the night of Saint John. The fiestas are also called "verbenas" or "revetllas," which means open-air fiestas or celebrations.
Midsummer solstice
Midsummer solstice is a tradition from ancient times. The summer solstice was considered the most important event of the solar year in ancient times. Fire was celebrated on this day as the symbol of abundance, purity and fertility and to this day fire and fireworks are one of the central elements in the Festival of Sant Joan with fireworks and bonfires illluminating the skies of Barcelona. Visit the Barcelona city Nit de Sant Joan website http://www.bcn.es/santjoan for more details about verbenas firework displays and bonfires all over the city where you will usually find information about events in each neighbourhood (barrio) of Barcelona, and plenty of information about Sant Joan traditions along with fireworks and bonfire safety information.
> Day Tour to Montserrat Mountain from Barcelona - Morning or afternoons
Sant Joan traditions: Fire
"La Flama del Canigó"
"Qui encén foc per Sant Joan no es crema en tot l'any" means "He who lights the fire for Sant Joan will not burn all year." The most important element of the festival of Sant Joan is fire. The tradition is to light the bonfires a flame called "La Flama del Canigó" - "the flame of Canigò." This flame is from the peak of a holy mountain called Canigò (2784m) in the French Pyrenees mountains in the north part of old Catalunya. The tradition of the flame of Canigò was started in 1955 as a symbol of Catalan culture. The original flame is kept alive in the kitchen the museum of Casa Pairal by the Castellet de Perpinyàn. At dawn on 23 June every year a fire is lit using the flame on the peak of Canigò and from there the flame is spread throughout the Catalan regions of France and Spain to light the fires of Sant Joan. In the week before Sant Joan hundreds of volunteers carry the flame from the Pyrenees to city councils, county councils and cultural organizations in more than 350 municipalities in the "Països Catalans" which include the Catalan areas of France. It is estimated around 3000 bonfires, called "hogueras" in Spanish or "fogueres" in Catalan, are lit on 23 June with a flame from the peak of Canigó. In 2013 La Flama del Canigó will arrive in Barcelona on 23rd June 2013 at 19:30 on Plaça de Sant Jaume in the gothic area of Barcelona after touring the city streets. From here local torch teams light their torches and carry the Canigo flame to start Sant Joan fires around Barcelona and nearby towns. The La Flama del Canigó event on Placa de Sant Jaume finishes at 21:00 with fireworks.
You can participate in the rituals of fire purification on Sant Joan. If you burn something in the Sant Joan fire it will cleanse your sins and rid you of bad luck. Old furniture is often used for the bonfire to symbolise a gesture of "out with the old - in with the new! Another tradition is that you write down whatever you wish for, throw the note on the fire and then leap into the air three times. The most foolhardy tradition is to clasp the hand of your loved one, and leap together over a bonfire no less than seven times. Then according to tradition you will live happily ever after. The fire jumping sounds like a tradition that is best avoided. Many drunken revellers have been badly burnt when they tried to jump over big fires and have fallen back into the flames.
Safety advice about bonfires
Sant Joan traditions: Water
"Bany de Sant Joan, salut per tot l'any" which means "Bathe on Sant Joan and you'll be healthy all year round" Water is an important element of Sant Joan. According to tradition, on the eve of Sant Joan, you can cleanse your sins in water which symbolises the baptisms of Sant John. According to legend, a swim will cure all your ails, aches and pains. Any water will do. You can swim in the sea, or in a lake, or even just bathe your face with the morning dew and you will be free of sin and completely cured of all ills. This seems to be a safer midnight tradition than jumping over bonfires. Don't burn your sins - drown them. If you are on the beaches of Barcelona you will certainly not be the only one having a midnight-sin-swim. Around 70,000 people people gather on the beaches of Barcelona - mostly on Bogatell and Mar Bella - for a huge beach party to celebrate the Nit de Sant Joan. Many of them swim their sins away with a dip in the sea at midnight. The water temperature of the Barcelona is around 22-23 degrees celcius in June, so it's a pleasant experience taking an evening swim. Watching the Sant Joan sunrise is an important part of the Nit de Sant Joan and a fine excuse for partying all night. Sunrise is around 06.15 on 24 June. The beaches in Barcelona will be closed at 06:00 in the morning of 24/6 for cleaning up.
Sant Joan traditions: Herbs
"Les herbes de Sant Joan tenen virtut tot l'any" means "the herbs of Sant Joan retain their virtues all year round." Herbs are a big element of Sant Joan. Herbs are said to have curative powers that become one hundred times stronger on the night of Sant Joan. Thyme, Rosemary and Verbena (the herb that gave name to the fiestas!) are collected and eaten on Sant Joan. The herb verbena was offered to the Gods in ancient times. It has a very powerful smell and some say it has aphrodisiac properties.
Sant Joan traditions: Fireworks
Fireworks are called "petards" in Catalan - and "petardos" in Spanish. There is a strong tradition of fireworks in Catalonia purportedly stemming back to the days of the arab invasions. Each barrio in Barcelona has its own firework display along with local all-night bonfires fuelled by collections of old furniture! In the barrios you will find dancing and celebrations in the plazas, street parties, music and entertainment. Firecracker - "petardos" - shops and huts spring up all over Barcelona and are usually open 10 days before the Night of Sant Joan. So be prepared for many small and big bangs on the days before Sant Joan. If you live in a crowded neighbourhood you can probably forget about taking a siesta.
Safety tips about fireworks
Sant Joan traditions: Food
Food is an important part of any Catalan festival. For Sant Joan is a tradition to eat Catalan 'Coca' desserts. Coca consists of a bread base topped with with fillings of various kinds. The size of the bread should be twice as long as it is wide. Visit any baker in Barcelona and you will see delicious Sant Joan Coca for sale.
Catalan Coca dessert recipe
Sant Joan parties in Barcelona
Most clubs and bars in Barcelona have big Sant Joan parties, so check out our Barcelona nightlife guide to find clubs and bars in Barcelona.
Of course the best place to celebrate Sant Joan in Barcelona is at the beach clubs. > Beach clubs in Barcelona
The Barcelona metro and trams are open all night on 23rd June.
Taxis in Barcelona charge an extra supplement of around 5 euros between midnight and 06.00.
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El día de Sant Joan 24th June
El Día de Sant Joan is Saint John's day - the day after Nit de Sant Joan. The 24/6 is always a public holiday and most shops are closed in Barcelona tourist shops in the city center. Maremagnum shopping mall in Barcelona harbour is open all year round and for food OpenCor shops are open and have shops in central locations. In the centre of Barcelona restaurants, attractions, cinemas and tours will be operating normally.
There is a popular Sant Joan saying in Catalan: "Fred per Nadal i calor per Sant Joan, salut per tot l'any" which translates as "Cold for Christmas, warm for Sant Joan, health for the whole year!"
Bona revetlla a tots!!
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