St. John's Eve procession in Carrigaline Parish to St. John's Holy Well 23 June 2014

St. John's Eve procession in Carrigaline Parish to St. John's Holy Well 23 June 2014
All over Europe St. John's Eve is celebrated in largely the same manner, with communal attendance at bonfires, prayer, revelry, music and merriment being the order of the day (or night, as it were). The widespread distribution of St. John's Eve customs would suggest their being of some antiquity, though certain 19th century scholars appear to have stared into midsummer bonfires a little too long, seeing the ‘strong savour of pagan solar cults’ apparent in these customs. It is however very difficult to speak with any certainty on the pre-Christian origins of midsummer celebrations, especially where bonfires are concerned. In proclaiming such origins, one can find one's self swept and rolling swiftly down slippery slopes littered with the corpses of tweed-clad scholars of yore who previously attempted such feats. James Frazer, author of 'The Golden Bough', regarded midsummer observances as 'sun charms or magical ceremonies intended to ensure a proper supply of sunshine for men, animal and plants'. Other scholars have come to altogether different conclusions however, stating that while sun worship was indeed a feature of pre-Christian European tradition, observances in this regard tended to occur at the beginning of summer, with little by way of evidence to suggest that contemporary midsummer observances stem from indigenous northern European tribes in the same way that our midwinter Yule customs do. Jakob Grimm, writing in 'Deutsche Mythologie' noted two seasons in summer for the lighting of fires in Germany, with Easter fires being held in the north of Germany and midsummer fires being held in the south. The former he regarded as the 'fires of native heathenism', while the latter midsummer fires he saw as a borrowing from the traditions of the Church.
Whatever the origins of midsummer observances, it is safe to say that this period has long been observed as a sacred time for our forebears. We'll return with more on the Feast of John the Baptist tomorrow.