Saint John's Eve

St. John's Eve Eve of the Feast of Saint John the Baptist
Saint John's Fire with festivities in front of a Christian calvary shrine in Brittany, 1893
Official name	Saint John's Eve
Also called	Eve of the Feast of Saint John the Baptist
Observed by	Roman Catholic Church Lutheran Churches Anglican Communion
Type	Christian, Cultural
Significance	The eve of Saint John's Day, which celebrates the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
Celebrations	Fireworks, Saint John's bonfires, visiting streams and rivers, watching theatrical dramas related to the life of Saint John the Baptist, and family gatherings
Observances	Church services, processions, collecting special plants (e.g. Saint John's wort) and having them blessed by a priest/minister
Ends	24 June
Date	23 June
Next time	23 June 2024 (2024-06-23)
Frequency	Annual
Related to	Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

Saint John's Eve, starting at sunset on 23 June, is the eve of the feast day of Saint John the Baptist. This is one of the very few feast days marking a saint's birth, rather than their death. The Gospel of Luke (Luke 1:26–37, 56–57) states that John was born six months before Jesus; therefore, the feast of John the Baptist was fixed on 24 June, six months before Christmas.^[1] In the Roman calendar, 24 June was the date of the summer solstice, and Saint John's Eve is closely associated with Midsummer festivities in Europe. Traditions are similar to those of May Day and include bonfires (St John's fires), feasting, processions, church services, and gathering wild plants.