San Juan in Granada Is One of our Special FiestasOut With The Old And In With The NewEven though it takes place in June, in some ways it allows us to have a "New Start To The Year". A type of second chance to make a new start. The feast-day of San Juan Bautista (Saint John the Baptist) is celebrated on the 24th June. But the celebrations of San Juan in Granada actually take place the night before. And if they have a theme, it is that they are washing away the old and starting with the new. This is also the time of the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere, which marks the longest day of the year, and so the celebrations actually take place around the shortest night!
Even though many people celebrate San Juan in their own home town or village, many Granadinos take their families to the beach to celebrate this, the most magical night of the year, the 23rd of June.
San Juan Fiesta in PadulLeave the centre of Padul, and walk along the Avenida de Valle de Lecrin, which leads onto the old Roman Road of the Camino de Los Molinos. In a few minutes you will reach the Fuente del Mal Nombre (The Spring of the Bad Name). Usually this is a quiet and restful place where you can see the locals stopping to drink the waters, or even fill their bottles with the ever-flowing spring water to take to their homes (much better than buying their mineral water). Sometimes passers-by just take to sitting on the seat at the spring and enjoy the view over the Laguna, with the cooling sound of running water providing sufficient refreshment for them. However, go there at midnight on the feast of San Juan of Granada and you will see a totally different picture. After the free celebrations in Padul - which invariably include music, singing and dancing - the attention of the village turns to the Fuente for the culmination of San Juan fiesta of Granada. There will be throngs of people, each waiting their turn to lean over, cup their hands in the spring water and then splash the water onto their faces three times. This is typical of Granada San Juan, and it symbolically washes away the worries of the past year and welcomes in the new with good hope in the heart. And perhaps more importantly, this local tradition promises that those who wash their faces in such a manner will grow even more beautiful (or handsome) during the coming year. Actually, anyone studying the faces of the Padulians will surely be able to see that most of them have already washed their faces in the spring waters on San Juan in Granada some year or other!
San Juan Fiesta in AlmunecarLess than an hour away from Granada city is the spanish resort of Almunecar.San Juan of Granada is celebrated in a big way there, where, as a concession to the importance of the fiesta, the beach is allowed to be used as a campsite for just this one night of the year. As the day of the 23rd June begins, already you will see people settling down on the beach, many pitching tents and lighting their bonfires. These will be used later for two very important purposes. The feeling of excitement is intense as the excitement builds up during the day and beach barbeques (moragas) are built. The barbecue is a favourite means of preparing food on this day. However, a typical dish that doesn't need any cooking is a bread roll cooked with olive oil and with a hard boiled egg securely fixed with pastry strips into its centre. These are traditionally enjoyed by the celebrants. As night falls, bonfires are stoked up and those brave enough will jump over the flames to show their bravery (or foolishness!). Three jumps traditionally cleanse the jumper from his or her diseases and sins, thus ensuring that the following year will be their best yet. It is now that the participants will throw photographs, mementoes and objects which invoke unhappy memories into the flames in a symbolic act of removing the bad things that happened during the previous year from their lives. When midnight approaches, the sky is lit up with a host of fireworks and flashes and sounds of celebration as the participants go to the sea to wash themselves clean with the water.. ....some will cup their hands and wash their faces three times while others plunge into the water. Either way, they all know that the coming year will bring more beauty not only to their faces, but also to their lives. The celebrations complete, some will warm themselves dry at the bonfires and go home, while others will bed themselves down, ready for a night of singing, drinking and great fun. San Juan Granada, a wonderful time of year, a wonderful fiesta and a wonderful year ahead. What more could anyone ask for? Related links...
The Granada Blog brings you information you can trust about Fiestas in Granada. The celebrations taking place on this day constitute one of the most special nights of the year. And the best part of it is that you can celebrate San Juan Granada in so many different ways. If you're new here, why not subscribe to my RSS feed. Let us know what you think. click on your blog comments. Return to the bed breakfast Granada Blog Page. To go to the top of this page click on San Juan Granada To find out all about Granada go to Granada information To locate any webpage on this site go to our site map
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