Sant Joan Salou 2011

Sant Joan in Spain marks the start of the summer. This is is the midsummer solstice celebration, which is the day that has the longest period of daylight in the year (not to be confused with the "Equinox" days, which are the days when the day and night are of equal length. The Equinoxes occurs twice a year usually in March and September.) The Nit de Sant Joan celebrations in Spain and Salou are on the evening of the 23rd June. The next day is 24th June which is Saint John's day and a public holiday in Catalonia and Spain. The Sant Joan festivals and fiestas are from sunset on 23/6 to sunrise on 24/6 on the eve of Saint John's day. The Sant Joan festival is often called "La Nit de Sant Joan" - the night of Saint John.  The fiestas are also called "verbenas" or "revetllas," which means open-air fiestas or celebrations.

The Festival of Saint John

23/6/2010 - 24/6/2010
The festival of Saint John is one of the most celebrated festivals of the people from Catalunya. It commemorates the arrival of the summer, and bonfires are the traditional way of doing it. Throughout the region Catalan people burn piles of wood and old furniture, and music and popular festivities flood the streets, the squares and the beach. The traditional “coca de Sant Joan” –sweet flat bread made of fruit and pine nuts- is always present. It is a delicious sweet typical of the night of Saint John. And even though this is really the shortest night of the year, for many people it is, without a doubt, the longest one.