Yesterday we celebrated the Night of Sant Joan which is the night before the feast of St John the Baptist
Note here that the Catalan name for John is Joan which has two syllables( Jo-ann) and is not the same as the English womans name Joan.
Other names for this festival is The Night of Fire or the Night of the Witches.
Essential elements – friends, food, drink, a bonfire and for some, fire crackers called petardos.
We went to visit friends at Premia del Mar. All the necessary elements were there (minus the petardos which could be heard outside on the streets). With a lot of people from Argentina, it was a good chance to practice my Spanish.
It was one of those parties that warm your heart. Lots of laughter and warmth and interesting conversations. There were also about 6 or 7 dogs there, all jostling for space under the tables or racing around the bonfire. Bonnie managed very well and organised herself a little hole under a bush to hide in when things got too wild.
This celebration marks the beginning of summer and has many pagan associations in spite of its links with St John.
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. 
We tried to spend the night on the beach of St Pol but it was full of young people with petardos and a sound system. so we took to the hills and found a quiet parking place to watch the fireworks and the full moon over the sea until dawn.
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