St John’s Eve, the feast day. Although the eve is the ritualist celebration side and the feast day being on the 24th,the feast day of St.John the baptist.
Whilst the summer soltice is a big celebration, around a folk practitioner’s side or in Ireland (noted in other regions too, Johnasmass in Scotland) the summer soltice would have been celebrated more towards St. John’s eve than on the main celebration of the 21st.
Oral traditions tells us that during St. John’s eve, children and villagers are said to have gathered around fires, celebrating, it really was a community affair.
Traditions will vary from area to area and country to country but one that I can share is that of burning gorse on a fire to cleansing and a purification process, then to take holy water/blessed water and sprinkle on all 4 corners of the property to bless and protect.
But be sure that this was an evening where fire burned brightly, music was played, people danced and laughed and stories were told whilst sat beside the fireside.
The fires were used as a way to bring in good luck, bless, protect and celebrate but they were also lit to protect people from the activities of the fair folk. It’s believed that on St. John’s Eve, is when the fair folk are highly active + if your home was near a fairy route or fort, you would likely experience the neutral chaos of the good neighbours. So fires were lit to protect their homes by appeasing the fair folk.
As you can tell, another name for St. John’s Eve is that of bonfire night.