San Juan, a night of magic, Pozo Negro, Fuerteventura
The San Juan festival takes place on the 24th June each year. Its origins are pagan and are related to festivals celbrating the longest day of the year, which is actually June 21st (in the northern hemisphere). The time difference between the longest day and the San Juan festival is similar to that between Christmas and the shortest day of the year.
The original pagan festival involved fire and bathing, and it is the bathing part which accounts for the link between the original pagan festival John the Baptist.
The main event on the Fuerteventura seems to be the one held on the beach at at Pozo Negro, though fires are lit all over the island.
For the first part of the magic ritual you have to fit a wrist bracelet, or pulsera. The colour of the woool used to create the bracelet indicates what the wearer is wishing for in the coming year. The areas represented by the colours are work and study, love, money and health. Those partaking in the ceremony are given a piece of paper to write down their hopes for the coming year. A bonfire is lit which is meant to cleansing for the body and soul. You can change your luck by jumping over the bonfire a minimum of three times. It's best to wait until it dies down. however!
Then there is a magic ceremony involving candles, salt and solumn oaths, although it is actually a great deal of fun. The next part involves throwing yourself in the sea in the final part of the cleansing ritual.
As usual here in Fuerteventura there was a firework display with some fabulous fireworks, flashes and bangs.
The musical entertainment began in the Pozo Negro town square, with the group San Antonio Norteņo, and the celebrations, as usual went on until the early hours.
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