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There’s a special holiday coming up in the Basque Country this weekend: San Juan Eguna. Have you heard of it?
I wanted to write about it because honestly I’d never heard about it before I started digging around Instagram for scenes from the Basque Country. I found wonderful photos and videos of Basques having bonfires on the beach for this special night, and I wanted to learn more about it.
I wonder if it’s not celebrated in Iparralde, where my family is from? Or maybe it’s more of a coastal celebration and my people are too mountainous to be into it?
Regardless, in some parts of the Basque Country, this holiday is kind of a big deal. San Juan Eguna is the feast day of St. John the Baptist, and it coincides with the Basque summer solstice celebration.
On the night of June 23rd, bonfires light up beaches and towns in the Basque Country. It’s believed the practice of lighting bonfires during this time of year started as a pagan purification ritual to get rid of evil spirits. This ritual was then appropriated by the Church to mark a celebration of St. John the Baptist.
Whatever its exact origins, the bonfires of San Juan Eguna look like a lot of fun for the community.
On the shortest night of the year, it’s out with the old and in with the new. People burn anything negative associated with the past that they don’t want to carry over into the new season. This means many school children use the bonfires as a chance to burn their notes from the past school year.
People also jump over the bonfires, as this is said to purify the spirit. For an especially good year, jumping over the fire three times is recommended.
Some bonfires are local affairs, bringing together friends, families, and neighbors. Others are city-organized festivals with giant bonfires and Basque music and dancing involved.
Have you participated in San Juan Eguna? Tell us more about it in the comments!
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