JUNE

The morning of San Juan is a magical event par excellence associated with countless rites and ancestral customs, especially in the Mediterranean strip where fire is an indissoluble part of this moment. It is the shortest night of the year in the northern hemisphere and has a marked festive and gastronomic character. The ignited bonfires signify the triumph of light over the darkness and, according to popular culture, safe keep people from all evilsalong the year.

The sun, fire, and water are its most characteristic elements. Legend has it that ashes cure diseases of the skin and that it is convenient to jump the fire a minimum of three times to have a good year. It is also common to dance around the fire for purification and protection from evil influences.

The celebrations on June 24 are also related to water. In fact, they recommend washing in the early morning with fresh water to keep the skin smoother and eliminate impurities. And it is said the waters taken in the night of San Juan, usually called “sanjuanarse,” are considered to be healers and purifiers.

The Celts and Iberians thought that the sources were healers, later the Catholic Church consecrated San Juan more than a thousand sources in Spain. In some populations there was also, and in some still is, the tradition of rooting the fountains.

In Molinos, the worshipto water goes to the extreme of throwing buckets of water and creating real battles to prevent diseases. The presence of the bull as anemblematic element related to this magical night is present in the town of Aliaga. At midnight twelve o’clock a bull is released, secured through the streets of the town, which is then killed and his meat is distributed among the neighbors to have as a dinner with the whole community.

In Aliaga, they tend to plant a tree and the houses of the young women are lined up.

In Cuevas de Cañart it is traditional to eat rabbit with snails and for dessert they have chocolate gypsy arms. In Cañada de Benatanduz the habit is to take a variety of liquor pastas offered by the town hall. In Alagón and Monzón they celebrate it with snails. In Oseja and Sigües they go on a pilgrimage, the first ones to the Virgin of the Mountain range and the others to San Juan Baptist. In Ejea de los Caballeros, a medieval market is held for these dates in June, which, in addition to a complete commercial offer, makes it available to residents and visitors the chanceof going back to the Middle Ages for a few days. In Sabiñán, they go up to the Torreón de las Encantadas to recall the legend of the three Moorish maidens. In La Almunia de Doña Godina, the festival animated by the puppeteers of Binéfar has been consolidated as a tradition.

In the last weekend of June, Caspe celebrates its Commitment Festivities, some festivals were declared as Tourist Interest in Aragon by the Government of Aragon in 2003. Among the many playful and traditional events, in the capital of Bajo Aragón Zaragoza, the theatrical performance of the Chronicles of Commitment and an important medieval market takes place, here you can find a wide range of quality products (oil, cheese, wine, preserves, olives, sweets and desserts, …), as well as a complete evidenceof lost trades in the streets.

After the celebrations of San Juan and the picking of the hypericum in the mountains, in the early morning of San Pedro, on June 29, the women of Almonacid de la Sierra return to repeat the operation. Before the sun rises over the horizon, they make their way to the mountain to pick up the herb of San Pedro, a plant with thin stems with white cotton flowers displayed on the balconies in town for the following days. There is also chocolate with churros, which on this occasion, team up with the «palos de San Pedro», a typical dessert recovered by the association of local women who prepare the dough of this sweet by mixing flour, eggs, salt, sugar, soda, lemon zest, vodka and olive oil, which then they fry in a pan in the shape of sticks. Finally,they sprinkle this dessert with sugar, last touch to this dessert also accompanied with fritters and puff pastry flowers.