Catalonia, ready to celebrate the San Juan festival

One of the most anticipated events of the year is here: the Sant Joan festival. It will be celebrated in each town following the traditionsAs every year, the starting signal will be given by the arrival of the Canigó Flame to hundreds of towns in the Catalan Countries, which will serve to light the emblematic bonfires. Next Wednesday, the Minister of the Interior, Núria Parlon, called this Monday for caution and responsibility regarding the combination of firecrackers, alcohol, and roads. Following the advice of the authorities, "Alcohol and driving are totally incompatible," she emphasized. It is also recommended to collect clothes lined up and awnings, as well as to close doors and windows where festivals are held, not to put firecrackers inside bricks or bottles, and to prepare a safe area for pets.

For the first time, the Canigó Flame will arrive at the headquarters of the Rural Agents (Agencias Rurales) in Santa Perpètua de Mogoda, and Councilor Parlon will light the cauldron from which the fire crews will distribute the flame throughout Catalonia. In Barcelona, ​​it will arrive at Plaça Sant Jaume around 6 p.m., where representatives from each neighborhood will light a fire to ignite the city's bonfires.

The Fallas del Pirineo (Fallas of the Pyrenees) are a tradition linked to the summer solstice and declared an Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. From mid-June to the end of July, sixty-three towns celebrate this festival related to the worship of the Sun and purification through fire, which consists of the lowering of lit torches from the mountains to the villages.

In Menorca, the Sant Joan festivities have centered on horses since the 14th century, and are one of the island's most characteristic traditions. In La Garrotxa, the Night of the Water Women is when, according to legend, these magical and elusive creatures return to Sant Joan les Fonts to bless the lands coinciding with the festival.

In L'Ampolla, however, Sant Joan is linked to the medicinal women, women knowledgeable in medicinal plants who were in charge of preparing rituals and home remedies. In Alicante, the Bonfires of San Juan are one of the most representative celebrations of the Valencian festive calendar and combine fire, satirical criticism, and popular culture.

No drought but with risk of fire

This Monday's festival will be the first in three years in Catalonia without a drought alert, but that doesn't mean the risk of forest fires has ended. Emergency team reinforcements will be deployed throughout the night to handle any incidents that may occur with bonfires or fireworks.

Around 100 people will be responding to emergency calls at the 112 emergency call centers, and the Generalitat Fire Department will also have reinforcements, with 74 volunteer fire stations available for immediate activation. The Forestry Defense Agents will also be collaborating on the plan for the night of San Juan, extending their workday during the festival. 450 rural firefighters will be active to control bonfires and the use of fireworks, which must always be carried out 500 meters away from a forested area.

In addition, more than 5,100 Mossos d'Esquadra officers will be active throughout the night (between 10 p.m. on Monday and 10 a.m. on Tuesday) and 200 security checkpoints will be in place to watch for potential conflicts with others, as well as to carry out a total of 66 alcohol and drug checkpoints. The Mossos d'Esquadra will also be reinforcing the area around the Font de la Pólvora neighborhood of Girona, where a year ago a shooting on the night of Sant Joan ended with two fatalities.