When is St. John's Day? See what to celebrate on June 24

Saint John's Day is celebrated on June 24, the day of the birth of John the Baptist. It is the main Catholic celebration of the month of June, which has two other highly celebrated saints: Saint Anthony, on the 13th, and Saint Peter, on the 29th.

The origins of the June festivals predate Christianity. In ancient times, people living in the northern hemisphere celebrated June, a time of abundance due to the arrival of summer, when agriculture becomes more fertile. With the spread of Christianity, this festival was absorbed by the Church and began to celebrate Saint John.

The tradition of the June festivals arrived in Brazil brought by the Portuguese and became quite popular. Today, the two most famous São João celebrations take place in Campina Grande, in Paraíba, and in Caruaru, in Pernambuco.

No miracles

John the Baptist, the Saint John who is celebrated on June 24, has a peculiarity: there is no record of miracles performed by him. The importance of this cousin of Jesus Christ for Christianity is due to two aspects.

He was the first person to announce the arrival of Christ to the Jewish people, and for this reason he became known as the predecessor of the Messiah. “A voice cries in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,” as recorded in the Gospel of Luke.

The second reason that made John the Baptist famous was the spread of baptism, which he performed by immersion in the River Jordan. In his sermons on the banks of the river, he stated that everyone can repent of the sinful life they have lived up until then and, by doing so sincerely, they can begin a new stage in life, respecting religious rules.