Noche de San Juan 2010

About 50 neighbours from a block of flats in Bera, Navarra, have their annual get-together on the night of 23rd June to celebrate the evening before the day of St John - the Hispanic world long ago shifted the ancient midsummer fire-jumping rites back a couple of days. They start about 9.30 with a communal meal at tables set up outdoors and the fire is lit at midnight. singing, dancing and fire jumping are fuelled with generous amounts of alcohol and bonhomie. Everyone participates, from babes-in-arms to a gentleman who was celebrating his 90th birthday. Check out the young lad at the 1.54 point.

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People & Blogs

Tags:

• dance
• dancing
• fire jumping
• bonfire
• noche de san juan

[stevehards]

@donnafromnyc

Thanks for the comment! This is nothing compared with some of the other fire-in-public-places-related stuff that happens in Spain, especially the 'Fallas' festival in Valencia. The concept of taking responsibility for the consequences of your liberties is also quite forgotten these days in the UK where anyone with any kind of official responsibility for anything bans even fairly harmless activities on the grounds of 'health and safety'.

[donnafromnyc]

Here in the US you would have had the local fire department, the EPA and the Forest Service after you. Great video and that accordion!