Every year on June 23rd, Catalonians celebrate La Nit de Sant Joan, the evening before the feast day of St. John the Baptist. Of course this Saint’s day is celebrated everywhere in the Catholic world, but the celebrations of the evening before are most enthusiastic and noisy in Catalonia, particularly in Barcelona. There, it’s known as the Nit del Foc (Night of Fire).
We’d love to say that we planned our arrival in Barcelona just in time for this celebration, but it was just a happy coincidence. There is no central location for the party; it’s just a local celebration in every neighbourhood. So we just strolled down the street in Sant Antoni, had dinner in a plaza to the sound of firecrackers and cherry bombs, and when it got dark headed over to one of dozens of bonfires around the city. Quite the party!
