Bonfire Night
The Feast of St. John coincides with the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere, which technically can occur anywhere between June 20 - 26th. The Christian holy day is fixed at June 24, but, in the old way, festivities are celebrated the night before, on St. John’s Eve.
St. John’s Eve (or Bonfire Night) is celebrated in many parts of rural Ireland with the lighting of bonfires. This ancient custom has its roots in pre-Christian Irish society when the Celts honoured the Goddess Ãine, the Celtic equivalent of Venus and Aphrodite. This tradition is still alive and kicking in the Achill and surrounding parishes. Bonfires are traditionally made from gorse bushes and are set ablaze on the 23rd of June. Below is a clip of how NOT to light one. Remember if you are going to have one please do be careful!
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