Live the night of Sant Joan in Barcelona

The shortest and magical night of the year is approaching, the night of Sant Joan, which is celebrated, both in Barcelona and in the rest of Catalonia, on the night of June 23, coinciding with the summer solstice. This is one of the most deeply rooted traditional festivals in the Catalan territory, which begins with the reception of the “Flame of the Canigó” that lights the bonfires in all the neighbourhoods, streets and squares of the cities and towns.

The origin of the celebration of Sant Joan comes from a pagan festival that dates back thousands of years, where the Sun was worshiped, to send it strength on its way to shorter and shorter days, and all negative energies were burned. , to start a new stage of prosperity. Years later, this festivity was Christianized giving rise to the celebration of the birth of Saint John the Baptist.

Since then, this festivity has been celebrated year after year, each year adapting a little more to the festival we know today, the Verbena de Sant Joan.

Traditions of the Sant Joan festival

The Sant Joan festival has different traditions and customs that make this night one of the most magical of the year. Some of these most outstanding traditions are the following:

The bonfires

The bonfires are one of the oldest traditions of the night of Sant Joan. They light up when the sun goes down and feed throughout the night until sunrise the next day. The most significant thing about this tradition is that people gather around the bonfires to sing, dance and celebrate this magical night together.

Firecrackers and fireworks

Another of the deep-rooted traditions of the night of Sant Joan in Barcelona is fireworks. Throughout the night, firecrackers and fireworks light up the sky over the city.

“Els Correfocs”

“Els correfocs” is one of the most spectacular traditions of the Sant Joan festivities. This is a show that takes place in the streets of Barcelona where the public interacts with fire and “els diables”, the protagonists of this party, who are dressed as demons.

Generally, it is celebrated at night, since it is the moment in which the pyrotechnic elements and the fire have their greatest splendor.

Sant Joan’s coca

The coca de Sant Joan is a very popular dessert that is eaten on the night of the festival, made with flour, sugar, eggs and lard that is decorated with candied fruit, giving the coca those characteristic colors.

During the days prior to the festivity, the bakeries of Barcelona fill their counters with this typical sweet, both in its most classic version and in more innovative proposals, with different ingredients for all tastes.

If you want to enjoy one of the most popular nights in the city of Barcelona, do not hesitate to visit Grums Hotel&Spa. Its location is perfect to be able to enjoy both the beach and the different events scheduled for that day. The party is guaranteed with music, popular food and firecrackers until the wee hours of the morning. Don’t miss it!

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us.