San juan bautista
the feast of st. john the Baptist, on june 24,
marking the beginning of summer has always been one of the favorites in all of latin America, the Philippines, spain, mexico, and Hispanic united states. Puerto Ricans make a
particular festive celebration of this date because san
juan is the patron of the
namesake capital city of the island. Some people will spend the night before
(June 23rd) on the beach and, close to the midnight hour, they will form a chain holding each
other’s hands and walk backward to the beach to welcome the day of san
juan. Others will go early
in the morning to beaches and rivers to celebrate the day with the ablutions of
st. john. During the day, in
many places, people
have fun “baptizing” passersby in the street. It is also customary on this day
to welcome summer luminaries and
bonfires by the beaches and rivers.