One of the biggest festivals on the Costa Brava calendar is St John’s Eve (Sant Joan in Catalan). It takes place on the evening of the 23rd June every year and lasts until the next day.

St John’s Day is a big party in several places around the world with different traditions making each celebration unique. The celebrations that take place across Catalonia range from small bonfires and parties with family and friends to bigger celebrations in towns and cities. Wherever you are, you are guaranteed an amazing time!

Fireworks, food and Cava

Known as the Revetlla, the fire and fireworks central to the Saint John’s Day parties are thought to come from Pagan times, like many other celebrations in the Christian calendar. Fire purifies and offers a fresh start, and in Catalonia it is just one element of a bigger party! There’s music, dancing in the streets, Cava, Catalonia’s sparkling alternative to Champagne, and fabulous food. One of the traditional breads that you have to try on the night is Saint John’s coca or Saint John’s cake. It’s a sweet bread topped with custard and candied fruits, as well as nuts if the baker adds them to his/her recipe. You can find some great traditional recipes and ones with a twist on the internet. Just search for Saint John’s coca or Coca de Sant Joan.

The Flama del Canigó
If you have a holiday home in Girona, you are in luck! It’s where the biggest celebrations take place and they all start with the Flama del Canigó or Canigó flame. The Canigó flame is a flame that is lit all year round and it is the flame which provides the torch for fires around Girona, and even further afield in Barcelona and other parts of the region. Torches are brought down from the top of the Canigó mountain where the flame is lit on the 22nd and 23rd June by way of a relay exchange. The flame is then spread across Catalonia, lighting up bonfires in individual towns using this relay exchange. Groups, villages and associations spread the flame in accordance with their own traditions and celebrate it with dancing, singing and music as they light their own bonfires in different ways. The flame represents the longevity of Catalonia and its culture.

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