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San Joan in Barcelona is the celebration marking the start of the summer season and the day with the longest period of daylight in the year. The San Joan celebrations are on the evening of the 23rd June. The day after is the Saint John's day, the 24th June, is a public holiday in Catalonia and Spain. The San Joan fiestas take place from sundown to sunrise on the night before Saint John's day, and are also called "verbenas," which means open-air fiestas or celebrations. In Spanish it is also named as "La Nit de San Joan" - the night of Saint John.

In ancient times the summer solstice was considered the most important event of the solar year. The element of fire stands as the symbol of abundance, purity and fertility as it is today one of the central elements in the Festival of San Joan. The festival is marked by fireworks and bonfires enlightening the skies of Barcelona. Don´t miss it, take the opportunity to do a trip to the European metropolis and book a central Barcelona hotel or Barcelona apartment.

Coming back to the festival of San Joan, the element of this festival is fire. The flame to light the fires is called the "Flama del Canigó," which is taken to different villages every year. There are bonfires, called "hogueras" in Spanish or "fogueres" in Catalan everywhere in Barcelona and Catalonia. If you like to follow one of the traditions, take part in the rituals of fire purification, which are said to cleanse your sins and get rid of your bad luck by burning something. For the bonfire old furniture is often used to symbolize a gesture of "out with the old - in with the new!

 A big part of any Catalan festival is the food. During San Joan it is a tradition to eat Catalan 'Coca' desserts. Coca is a bread base stuffed with various kinds of fillings. The size of the bread should be twice as long as it is wide!