- C.Valenciana
- Popular
- June
Alicante´s most representative celebration is the Bonfires of San Juan or ‘Hogueras de San Juan’. It celebrates the summer solstice. From the 20 to the 24 of June 2020.
The highlight of the festival are the ‘hogueras’, large satirical sculptures made of paper-mache, cork and wood, placed all over the city.
It has been declared festival of International Tourist Interest as well as Intangible Cultural Heritage.
A little bit of history
As in other parts of the world, Saint John´s day in Alicante had also been celebrated by burning old pieces of furniture. But in 1928, Jose María Py, the ‘Hogueras’ of San Juan´s founder, came up with the idea of mixing bonfires with the traditional ‘Fallas’ festival of Valencia, resulting in the current ‘Hogueras de San Juan’.
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How “Bonfires of San Juan” is celebrated
The festival begins the 20th with ‘La Plantá’ (when the artistic figures are set up on the streets) and it culminates on the night of June 24th with the burning of the ‘Hogueras’, know as ‘La Cremá‘, after a display of fireworks from the St. Bárbara Castle.
Like most Spanish coastal towns, the night before, Saint John´s Eve, is also celebrated with thousands of bonfires lit on the beaches.
Other remarkable events during the Bonfires of San Juan are the Flower Offering Parade to the Remedy’s Virgin (patron saint of the city) and the International Folklore Parade.
+ Info
- Alicante