Aix-en-Provence-Feu de La Saint Jean
Feu de La Saint Jean (the feast of Saint Jean/John the Baptist)
On my last evening in Aix-en-Provence I walked out the door of my apartment on Cours Mirabeau and right into these people. I decided that was an invitation for me to join in the parade. This is the celebration of Saint Jean, every year on the 23rd, 24th and 25th of June people gather to listen to music, sing, dance and light bonfires. They usually dress up in traditional costumes and party all night.
As soon as dusk falls, the celebration begins… folk music accompanies dancers dressed traditional costumes. Wishes are written on scraps of paper and stuffed into the material of the waiting bonfire. The fire is then lit, usually by the town mayor, blasting the spectators with a wave of heat that pushes them back while sending all the written wishes straight up to the heavens.
The bonfire night celebrates the arrival of mid-summer. Back in the day pagans used to light these bonfires to protect themselves from evil during the longest day of the year. The light of the fire symbolized the Sun. The smoke had purifying virtues. Later the tradition evolved and became associated with St. John the Baptist.
