#Solstice Bonfires

[ancestorsalive]

Nikolai Astrup (1880-1928)

[nocternalrandomness]

Happy Summer Solstice

[kelseykingillustration]

Winter Solstice bonfire at Belwin Conservancy

[okhalliee]

Just claimed my first ever title and I'm super stoked about it (no pun intended) 🥵🔥

Anyone else playing solstice right now? It's my first event!

[useless-catalanfacts]

Tonight is the Nit de Sant Joan (Saint John's Eve Night or Midsummer Night), a holiday widely celebrated in the Catalan Countries with bonfires and fireworks on June 23rd.

It's the summer solstice, with the shortest night of the year. Traditionally, Sant Joan has been seen as a kind of new year, with many rituals to bring good fortune for the next year. The most famous of these rituals is jumping over a bonfire, but in the last 10 years more or less it has become less common because many towns and cities are passing laws to ban people from making bonfires on the streets or making the necessary paperwork so tedious that people are discouraged from it.

The photos on this post are from Xàbia (in the Central Valencian Country), where the bonfires are still allowed and encouraged by the City Council. A unique element to Xàbia is that its tradition is for all young people to jump over the bonfire wearing a flower crown made of myrtle, which is in bloom in this time of the year. They jump over all the bonfires and, when they reach the last one (the largest bonfire), they make a wish, take the myrtle crown off, and throw it to the flames. This is said to free them from illness and bad luck for the next year.

Photos from La Marina Plaza and Comunitat Valenciana. Information from festes.org.

[gremlinvoidfish]

One of the things I love about this hellsite so much is finding common ground. For instance, rn, knowing I'm not the only goober who is SOBBING over Osiris and Saint XIV angst 🙃

It makes listening to Saint be adorable with Saladin during Bonfire Bash even more important, IMO, even if this is the worst Solstice I've ever seen

[violetmoondaughter]

The ritual comes from many pagan traditions connected with initiation and ascetic practices.  

In ancient Greek religion we can find an example of this initiatic ritual in the myth of Demeter. 

According to the myth, while Demeter was searching for her daughter, she received hospitality from Celeus, the King of Eleusis. He asked her to nurse Demophon, his son by Metanira.   

As a gift to Celeus, because of his hospitality, Demeter planned to make Demophon immortal by burning his mortal spirit away in the family hearth every night. 

In ancient egypt religion we find a similar story in the myth of Isis and Osiris. While Isis was looking for her husband corpse in Byblos she served the royal family as a nursemaid of the young prince. The goddess grew to feel affection for the baby and wishing for him never to taste death, she used magic to make the child immortal. Every night after he fed, she would dip him in an immortal fire to burn his mortal portions away. 

Those myth represent the idea of fire used as an element capable of burning the mortal portion of the soul and make the initiate immortal. Fire initiation runs through all the mystery religions and bonfires were used as a form of initiation and purification, especially during particolar moments such as solstices. 

Fire rituals were lately incorporated into the modern Christian tradition and converted in celebrations act to represent renewal. In many countries people still light bonfires that are considered purifying on St. John's night (June 24th ) with the aim of driving away darkness to celebrate light and goodness. According to tradition one should burn old herbs, jump the fire for good luck and put ashes on one's hair. It is traditional to jump over the blaze at least three times to burn away problems and bring good fortune. 

[psychichuldra]

Late as always but Happy St. John's Eve!

Here, have some women dancing around a bonfire! 🔥 Couldn't go out this year with my friends so I drew this to celebrate.

I'm not very good with shading but I had fun painting this! ❤️

[baede-6]

The fact that Saint and Saladin argue over who has custody over the guardians during the Bonfire Bash gives me life.

"GEPETTO! BRING UP THE CALENDAR!"

[lgbstims]

Litha / summer solstice sun bisexual stimboard

🧡 ☀️ 🧡

☀️ 💛 ☀️

🩷 ☀️ 🩷

[awesome-casuallyfamouscollector]

Everything is prepared for the summer solstice celebration, Latvia, June 23, 2023. Photo by D.P.

P.S. This summer during many ancient rituals at many bonfires in Latvia, people asked for help from the ancient forces of nature to destroy the "Empire of Evil"...The previous evil created by the Kremlin collapsed, and the current one created by the modern Kremlin will collapse as well... 

[mannyblacque]

Summer Solstice by Victoria Veil | Instagram

[purityvalentine]

i should choose a holiday and make it my favourite as a personality trait

i was thinking that i'm not really much into any holiday

halloween, christmas, easter, valentines

[raffaellopalandri]

Summer Solstice

Today we celebrate the Summer Solstice in the Northern Emisphere. Image Taken from Internet The longest day, the shortest night. A turning point in the wheel of the year, where the sun reaches its zenith and bathes the Northern Hemisphere with its light. This is the Summer Solstice, a phenomenon not just of scientific wonder, but of ancient reverence. From the pyres of Celtic festivals to the…

[modaallastracciatella]

Midsummer ☀️ Happy Solstice ☀️

[beatrack92]

Most Spanish people consider the Bonfires of St John to mark the true beginning of summer