Is summer your favorite season? The Valencians agree! They love it so much that they have a holiday dedicated to the start of the season. This public holiday is called San Juan, named after Saint John the Baptist. However, most people are not interested in the day itself, but rather the evening before: La Noche de San Juan, or Saint John’s Eve! Read on to learn all about the San Juan celebration in Valencia.
The Eve and Day of San Juan
Although the Day of Saint John officially falls on June 24, keep in mind that the most spectacular celebrations take place the evening before, on June 23. People start gathering in the late afternoon, and the party officially ends at 04.00. Bring your own drinks and dinner! Some ideas are a tasty bocadillo, a Coca de Sant Joan, or a lunch box with paella.
The beaches of Valencia, especially Malvarrosa, Las Arenas, and Patacona, will be crowded. Note that it is forbidden to light bonfires on the beaches south of the harbor, from El Pinedo to El Perellonet, due to the proximity of the Devesa Natural Reserve, which has an elevated wildfire risk.
June 24, the actual Day of San Juan, is a public holiday. Most people have the day off from work. A special mass will be held at 19.00 at the Real Parroquia de los Santos Juanes, the church right next to the Mercado Central, followed by a procession through the neighbourhood.
A holiday with millennia of history
The day of San Juan officially celebrates the birth and life of Saint John the Baptist. According to tradition, he was the cousin of Jesus Christ and was born half a year before Christ. This is why his holiday falls almost exactly six months before Christmas. John the Baptist began preaching some time before Jesus, announcing to the world that the Messiah would soon come. When Jesus came to hear one of his sermons, John baptized him. After being baptized by his cousin, Jesus began traveling and preaching himself!
The celebration of Saint John became widespread by the end of the sixth century. Soon, it started to merge with preexisting pagan celebrations, such as the celebration of the summer solstice! Many ancient cultures lit bonfires on the evening of the shortest night of the year. The Celts believed that the bonfires blessed their lands, livestock, and themselves. The Greeks saw the bonfires as an ode to Apollo, the god of light and the sun. Other pagan traditions held that the fires scared away evil spirits and witches.
The Catholic Church likely disapproved of these pagan festivities, but understood that it would be difficult to stop people from lighting bonfires. By celebrating Saint John’s Eve on or around the summer solstice, the Church hoped that the pagan significance would eventually be forgotten, and that the bonfires would be lit in honor of Saint John!
Bonfires at the beach
And so the bonfires have survived! During the Noche de San Juan everyone is invited to light a bonfire on the beach. It is the only time when this is not illegal (as long as you stay at the designated beaches, of course). Everyone brings food and drinks and many play their own music, beginning a fun – and long! – party night, until 04.00.
Starting at 19.30, trucks will appear at intervals along the Malvarrosa and Las Arenas beaches, roughly between Hotel Las Arenas and Casa Museu de Blasco Ibáñez. At these trucks, usually indicated with flags, you can receive free firewood for your bonfire. Fun fact: this firewood has been gathered in the preceding weeks by cropping the trees in Valencia’s streets and parks!
You must be quick though. Although the firewood trucks are officially there until 20.00, the firewood usually runs out within a few moments. If you are not sure you can arrive on time, you can also buy your own firewood and bring that directly to the beach.
Jump, jump… a little higher
So you are at the beach with your friends, a bag of food and drinks, and a stack of firewood. What’s next? Lighting the bonfire, of course! But that is only the beginning. As the night goes on, you will see more and more people jumping over the bonfires! According to popular belief, one jump over a bonfire allows you to make a wish, while three jumps over the purifying fire will burn away your sins. Many also write down their wishes on pieces of paper, and then burn them in the flames.
Besides leaping over the flames, you might see people enter the sea at night, or a river, for those who live further inland. If you jump over a wave, you can make another wish, just as with the fire. But a bath alone is already beneficial. The water is believed to have special properties on this night, especially on starry nights or when the full moon shines. It may bring a sense of purification, renewal, and positive energy. This meaning attributed to the water is probably connected to San Juan’s most famous activity: baptisms!
Overall, the Noche de San Juan is a magical night, where music, cheer, and friendship come together with the spiritual effects of fire and water.
How to get to the beaches?
First of all, we strongly discourage you from coming by car! It will be nearly impossible to get close to the beach that way, let alone find a parking spot.
The easiest way to get there is by taxi, but several buses will bring you there as well. Buses 19, 25, 31, 32, 92, 93, 95, 98, and 99 all stop close to the beach. These lines have extra buses running this evening and night, and the schedule is extended far into the night, so this is your best option.
The metro and tram lines, specifically lines 4, 6, and 8, also operate throughout the night, so that is another option. For specific times and departures, download the MetroValencia app or visit their website.
Tips for a great Noche de San Juan
- Keep in mind that the beach will be very crowded. Be sure to keep an eye on your belongings. Unfortunately, pickpockets also like these kinds of public holidays.
- You are not allowed to bring glass to the beach.
- Although it is a beach party, you may want to wear a decent pair of shoes since sharp objects can be hidden in the sand.
- The party is over at 04.00 on June 24, so you are kindly asked to leave the beach before then. When you leave, please take away any items you brought to the beach. This will allow the cleanup crew to finish sooner and open the beach to visitors the next morning.
- Needless to say, be careful when jumping over the bonfires or when entering the sea at night, especially if you have consumed alcohol.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is San Juan celebrated?
Saint John’s Eve is celebrated every year from the evening of June 23 until 04.00 on June 24.
What are the rituals around the Noche de San Juan and why?
The most well-known ritual is to build bonfires (hogueras) on the beach, and jump over them for good luck or to have your sins forgiven. You can also burn little pieces of paper with wishes on them. Many people also bathe in the sea, which is believed to purify and renew you.
Why are the people making hogueras (bonfires) on the beaches?
The bonfires, also known as hogueras, of San Juan are lit to celebrate the summer solstice, the shortest night of the year. They are believed to have purifying properties. Jumping over a bonfire once allows you to make a wish, and jumping over it three times is said to burn away your sins. If you’d rather not jump, you can write down your wish on a piece of paper and burn it in the fire instead.
Older traditions, believed to have inspired the current bonfires, held that the fire would either scare away evil spirits and witches, or bless their community.
What is the best place to experience Saint John’s Eve (Noche de San Juan) in Valencia?
Without a doubt, the best beaches are Malvarrosa, Las Arenas, and Patacona! Bring your own drinks and food (and firewood, if you arrive much later than 19.30)! If you cannot make it to the beach however, quite a few neighborhoods will have street parties this same night.
In which countries is Noche de San Juan celebrated?
Although Spain’s San Juan festivities are well-known, it is hardly the only country that celebrates Saint John’s Eve. Among others, its neighbor Portugal does so too, as well as the Scandinavian countries and the Baltic states, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and many South American countries.
Do people celebrate the Noche de San Juan everywhere the same way?
Not necessarily. Even within Spain itself there is some variation. As an example, Alicante’s San Juan festivities are a major festival, not unlike Valencia’s Fallas, which lasts from June 7 until June 24. Large monuments or statues are made of wood, papier-mâché, cardboard, and other materials. These are burned on the evening of the 24th, one night later than the regular San Juan bonfires.
Towns with a church dedicated to San Juan usually have special masses and processions where the statue is carried through the streets of the community. In Valencia this happens at 19.00 on June 24 at the Real Parroquia de los Santos Juanes. Internationally, bonfires are widespread, and they are often combined or alternated with torches or fireworks.
Is there any typical food or drinks during the Noche de San Juan in Valencia?
We recommend trying a Coca de Sant Joan, a traditional San Juan food. There are both sweet and savory versions. Of the savory type, the Coca de Toñina is the most famous one, especially in Alicante. This version has tuna in it. The sweet variant may have cream and fruit on top.
Did you know that…?
- …a few years ago, an impressive 35,000 kilograms of firewood were burned on Valencia’s beaches during the Noche de San Juan?
- …San Juan is not the only Valencian festival where fireplays a central role on an important sun-related day? While San Juan falls close to the summer solstice, Valencia burns enormous statues down during the Fallas festival, which falls close to the spring equinox in March (when day and night are exactly the same length)!
- …Alicante celebrates San Juan even more elaborately? There they construct statues which are burnt on the evening of June 24. This street festival is similar to the Fallas festival in Valencia.