Las Hogueras (bonfires) de San Juan is an annual festival that begins June 20 culminating with bonfires on June 24. What bega
n as a Pagan holiday celebrating the summer solstice and the longest day of the year, has now morphed into one big street party with afternoon rocket explosions (that make it sound like a war-zone), open-air cafes, and paper maché structures. The day I left Alicante festival-goers were
setting up for the big party. Over 88 beautifully detailed structures were being erected throughout the city center... only to be burned down the last day of the festival. Firemen (bomberos) set a strict timeline for the burning of each structure wherein surrounding buildings are doused with cold water before the structure is set ablaze. While I did not get to enjoy the festival in its entirety, the pre-festival vibe was enough to
make me want to go back for mo
re.
Las Hogueras (bonfires) de San Juan is an annual festival that begins June 20 culminating with bonfires on June 24. What bega
n as a Pagan holiday celebrating the summer solstice and the longest day of the year, has now morphed into one big street party with afternoon rocket explosions (that make it sound like a war-zone), open-air cafes, and paper maché structures. The day I left Alicante festival-goers were 
setting up for the big party. Over 88 beautifully detailed structures were being erected throughout the city center... only to be burned down the last day of the festival. Firemen (bomberos) set a strict timeline for the burning of each structure wherein surrounding buildings are doused with cold water before the structure is set ablaze. While I did not get to enjoy the festival in its entirety, the pre-festival vibe was enough to
make me want to go back for mo
re.
2 comments:
Too bad you didn't get to see the festival to its culmination. You tasted it as was beginning and its looks to be quite the festivity.
Yeah, Ali was there in the glory of the festival...and I think she said she needed ear plugs on day two. Those Spanish like it loud, but festive nonetheless.
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