Saint John's Fires

Many Masons today make much of St. John's Day and in recent years we have seen blog posts, including posts on the Hedge Mason concerning the ritual bonfires still lit in Haiti. What I suspect that at least most Freemasons in North America have little or no awareness of is just how widespread that practice was and still remains.

Indeed, if historically Freemasons lit bonfires in celebration of Saint John's Day, they had a great deal of company. In Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man, Cornwall, Brittany, Spain, especially Galicia, and other parts of Europe, people regularly lit bonfires to celebrate Saint John's Day which in all practical terms coincides with the Summer Solstice.

The evening of 23 June, St John's Eve, is the eve of celebration before the Feast Day of St John the Baptist. The Gospel of Luke (Luke 1:36, 56--57) states that John was born about six months beforeJesus, therefore the feast of John the Baptist was fixed on 24 June six months before Christmas. This feast day is one of the very few saints' days to mark the supposed anniversary of the birth, rather than the death, of the saint commemorated. In some rural parts of Ireland, particularly in the north-west, Bonfire Night is held on St. John's Eve, when bonfires are lit on hilltops.[5] Many towns and cities have "Midsummer Carnivals", with fairs, concerts and fireworks, around the same time. in County Cork in southwest ireland the night is commonly referred to as bonfire night and is among the busiest nights of the year for the fire services

 Tá Oíche Fhéile Eóin ar cheann de na féilte is ársa in Éirinn; téann sí chomh fada siar sin nach fios cathain go díreach a ceiliúradh don chéad uair í. Lastar tinte cnámh fós i roinnt áiteanna in Éirinn chun an fhéile a cheiliúradh. Ceiliúrtar Oíche Fhéile Eoin ar an 23 Meitheamh, seachas ag grianstad an tsamhraidh a thiteann ar an 21 Meitheamh. Is féile réamh-Chríostaí í ach, mar a tharla le féilte pagánacha eile, tá sí tar éis athrú le himeacht ama agus tá tionchar na Críostaíochta le feiceáil inti sa lá atá inniu ann. Mar shampla, is nós é, le linn na féasta, uisce beannaithe a chroitheadh agus paidreacha a rá chun Naomh Eoin chun go mbeadh rath ar an obair agus ar na barra.

The Knight Masons of the Universe, the Rose Croix, Kadosh Desert Fathers, Royal Arch Masons, Masters Masons, Family and townspeople all take part in this ritual administered by the Haitian Freemasons in Haiti.

In Galicia and even other parts of Spain, the feast day of San Juan is kept in a similar fashion, demonstrating the universal nature of this celebration.

So join us all now, Brothers:. and Sisters:. and all others to celebrate Saint John's Day, 2015!