Bonfires of Saint John
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Bonfires of Saint John is a popular festival celebrated in June, from 19th to 24th in Spain The festival is celebrated in many cities and towns, the largest being Alicante where it is the most important festival in the city.
The bonfires are made with any kind of wood, including discarded furniture, and people often share hot chocolate while teens and children jump over the fire.
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[edit] Origins
Before 1928 the bonfires of Saint John had been celebrated in Alicante as it had been elsewhere in Europe: by burning old pieces of furniture on the night of Saint John on June 24. The Bonfires festival was originated in 1928. Jose María Py felt that Alicante did not have an important fiesta, and adapted a Valencian festival known as the "fallas". The festival would ultimately become the most important cultural event in Alicantinian society.
[edit] The festival
- The Bonfires start with the 'Set Up' (la plantá) when monuments, street ninot's and archways to the "barracas" are set up in the streets. A pie of tuna (coca en toñina) and early figs (bacoras) are eaten at night.
- The despertás occur at 8:00 a.m.: Neighbours are awakened with a great deal of noise in all the districts of the city.
- The mascletá takes place at 2:00 p.m. It is a combination of fireworks and a very long string of firecrackers (bangers).
- At 7:00 p.m., there are bullfights.
- At night, from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. there are street parties in all the districts of the city. People dance and drink all night at the "racós" and the "barracas".
- The Street Band Parade (Desfile de entrada de bandas) occurs at 7:00 p.m.
- At 11:30 a.m. the Prize Giving Parade (Desfile de entrega de premios) takes place
- At 7:00 p.m. the Flower Offering Parade to the Remedy's Virgin (Ofrenda de flores a la Virgen del Remedio) takes place.
(In the three parades people wear the popular clothes from Alicante, and, in the Flower Offering, women wear mantilla and they have a bunch of flowers.)
- At 9:00 p.m. the International Folklore Parade (Desfile folklórico internacional) takes place.
- At 12:00 p.m. the Palm tree (La Palmera), occurs. This is a magnificent cascade of fireworks, and it is followed by the Burning (La Cremá), which is the culmination of the festival.
However, not only there are acts on those days. At the beginning of June there are the Ninot and Children's Ninot Exhibition (Exposición del Ninot y del Ninot infantil), The Paella Contest (Certamen de Paellas), The tribute to past foguerers and barraquers (La ofrenda a foguerers y barraquers fallecidos), The Opening Ceremony (El Pregón), The Ninot Procession (La Cabalgata del Ninot), and the Street Parade of Ninots competition (La plantá de los Ninots de carrer).
After 24 June there is the Firework Display Competition (Concurso de Castillos de Fuego) and the String of Firecrackers Display (Concurso de tracas) in the Postiguet Beach. There are also sports events and a Medieval Street Market.
The Bonfires commissions host many other events during the rest of the year. In autumn, there is musical and dancing competition known as the Artistic Competition (Concurso artístico). In December there is the Christmas Carol Competition (Concurso de villancicos). In May is the Beauty of the Fire Contest (Festival de elección de la Bellea del Foc), which is the most important event outside festive period, followed by the Beauty of the Fire Proclamation (Proclamación de la Bellea del Foc). During the year, there are the Presentations of the Beauties in all the districts of Alicante.
[edit] Organization
Bonfires are organised into commissions which fundraise and host the other events throughout the year. A member of a commission is called a foguerer. A commission usually represents one area, a place or an avenue in the city, but there are many areas with numerous commissions. (For example, Carolinas has five commissions: Carolinas Altas, Carolinas Bajas, Foguerer-Carolinas, Doctor Bergez-Carolinas and Bola de Oro.) In Alicante there are 86 commissions.
A barraca is a group of friends who don't take part in all the activities, and they raise money only to eat, drink and dance in the festival, in a place in the street called barraca. The member of a barraca is called barraquer.
The barracas and the racós are places in the street with tables, chairs, bar, orchestra and dance floor. They are a place for people to eat, talk, drink and dance during the festival. The difference between the barraca and the racó is that the racó is for the entire district and admission is free, while entrance to the barraca is restricted. The racó is made by the foguerers and the "barraca" is made by the "barraquers".
The commissions organise and take part in several events during the year: an artistic Competition, Parades, Beauty Contest, etc. These activities are open to the general public and the participation of the district's residents is very important and, sometimes, they are the main group. In districts like Ciudad de Asís, Florida-Portazgo, Los Ángeles and Carolinas Altas the relationship between the commission and the district's residents is very strong.
A very important source of financing for the festival is a lottery administered by the commission, although there are other sources such as tombolas, raffles, or sales.
[edit] Beauties
Beauty is the most emblematic element in the Bonfires after the monument. The Beauty is a woman who is the queen of the festival . There are both Beauties (aged 18 to 25 years) and Infantile Beauties (aged 9 to 11 years) representing Bonfires and Infantile Bonfires respectively.
Since a Beauty is the representation of a particular commission, there are 86 Beauties and 86 Infantile Beauties in Alicante. A Beauty can have two or four Honour Ladies in her commission.
There are certain Honour Ladies for the whole city. The Beauty of the Fire (Bellea del Foc) is the queen of the festival in all the city and there are also six Ladies of the Fire (Damas del Foc).
[edit] Clothes
There are three traditional clothes:
Novia alicantina (Alicantinian Bride). Is the costume that wears Beauties and Honour Ladies. It is made up of:
- A ban in the hair.
- A White and round mantilla.
- A Lemon blossom, little bunch.
- Two hangings.
- A Cross with jewellery in the neck.
- A black, velvet, waist with long sleeves.
- A fan.
- A black apron with jewellery.
- A long skirt.
- A petticoat (enaguas).
- White stockings.
- Black heels.
Labradora (farmer): Is the costume for the other women. It is made up of:
- A ban in the hair with flowers.
- Two hangings.
- A cross with a black ribbon in the neck.
- A white piece called "manteleta".
- A waist made in colours.
- A white apron.
- A long skirt, the same of the Beauties.
- A petticoat (enaguas).
- White stockings.
- Black heels.
Zaragüelles: Is the costume to the men. It is made up of:
- A scarf in the head or in the neck.
- A cotton, white, shirt.
- A blanket with pockets.
- A long sash at the same colour that the scarf.
- A very full white trousers called "zaragüelles".
- A white stockings.
- A shoes called "espardeñas".
[edit] Art: Monuments
Bonfires are an art show. In autumn there is an Artistic Competition among the Bonfire Commissioners. In the Festival there are Ninots (wooden figures) in the Street. This is an old tradition that was revived two years ago. Every year there is an Official Festival Poster , a beautiful art demonstration. But the most important in this festival are the Monuments, who are called Bonfires (Hogueras or Fogueres). They are made of wood, cardboard, mud, painting and, nowadays, of cork and polyurethane too. A Bonfire is not only an artistic creation, it is a critic of the societal, political and economical situation of the world in general and the city of Alicante especially. Critics are made across the "Ninot" or figure. The Ninot usually represents a famous person, often an amusing parody of a politician.
The Bonfires are not the same as the Valencian Fallas. When Bonfires originated in Alicante there were not made by "fallero" artists, and the first Bonfires were made by local painters and sculptors. They did not imitate the Valencian style, they were very varguardist and they followed Art-Dèco and other artistic currents. This vanguard continued throughout the history of the event (except 70's, when Valencian style was adopted), and today Bonfires are different still.
A Bonfire is paid for by contributions by the Bonfire Commission together with donations from , Residents and Shops. The Monument Competition is the most important contest in the Bonfire events. Monuments are divided into seven categories according to the price. There are 6 categories from 1st to 6th, and a Special Category. The latter category consists of more expensive bonfires costing more than 60,100 euros.
The most important artists throughout the Bonfire's history are Gastón Castelló, Ramón Marco, Remigio Soler, Ángel Martín, Pedro Soriano, José Muñoz and Paco Juan. The most successful district is Benalúa, with 18 victories. Other successful districts are Ciudad de Asís, Carolinas Altas, Mercado Central, Alfonso el Sabio and Hernán Cortés.
Bonfires are kindled on the 20th in an act called "La plantá", and they are burned on the 24th in a very beautiful and emotive act called "La cremá" (the burning). The latter is the end and the beginning of the Alicantinian Festival.
