Celebrated annually on June 24th, the Saint John the Baptist Day It is one of the oldest and most traditional festivals within Catholicism. Even though the official date is this Wednesday, the big celebrations usually take place the night before.
Contrary to most saints, who are honored on the day of their respective deaths, John the Baptist is celebrated on the date of his birth, estimated to be exactly six months before Jesus. He and the Virgin Mary are the only exceptions to this rule of the Church, since Christian tradition believes that both were purified from original sin while still in the womb.
Throughout his career, John the Baptist achieved importance through two main milestones: he was the first to recognize Jesus Christ as a prophet, baptizing him in the waters of the Jordan River – an act that gave rise to one of the most important sacraments in Catholicism.
Like Jesus, John was executed at the behest of King Herod of Galilee, who feared that his religious preaching would lead to a possible popular revolution.
Saint John the Baptist in Brazil
When European colonizers brought the festival to Brazilian lands, they merged with local traditions of celebrating the harvest with the arrival of winter. The mixture gave rise to the well-known Festas Juninas.
For this reason, the date is considered a holiday in several cities and states across the country, with gigantic cultural weight, especially in the northeast region.
Today, two cities have consolidated themselves as the major centers of this celebration, historically competing with the title: Campina Grande, in Paraíba, and Caruaru, in Pernambuco.
Saint John, however, does not shine alone. He shares the most festive month of the year with two other Catholic saints, forming the June triad: , on June 13th and , on June 29th.
This union of tributes transformed the period into an event so grand that the festivities go beyond the , lasting the entire month of June and, often, continuing into the month of July with the famous July festivities.
