Occasion of overt oblectation...

Midsummer’s Eve in Spain is called the "La Noche de San Juan" (fun, fire and magic) or "La Noche de Verbena" "Night of the Verbena (Vervain)"; The Verbena (fair) of San Juan is one of the most important feasts in Catalonia, ...more on that and the herb later... June 24, Midsummer Day, the feast of St John the Baptist, and is celebrated in all Spanish speaking countries (and Brazil) as well as many parts of Europe; it is one of the quarter days in England (and in Wales); the others being Lady Day (March 25) Michaelmas (September 29) and Christmas (December 25). In British and Irish tradition, the quarter days were the four dates in each year on which servants were hired, and rents and rates were due. They fell on four religious festivals roughly three months apart...John the Baptist was born 6 months before Jesus to tell of the Messiah’s arrival... Midwinter/ Midsummer both pagan festivals with Easter (really Ostara) in between...those Christian date-picking leaders weren’t silly were they! It was believed that on Midsummer Night that the fairies and witches held their festival; to dream about Midsummer Night was to conjure up images of fairies and witches and other similar creatures and supernatural events. (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)...
In England (in fact all of Great Britain) from the 13th century Midsummer was celebrated on Midsummer Eve (St. John's Eve, June 23) with the lighting of bonfires, feasting and merrymaking but this tradition waned after the Reformation; in some rural/distant parts it continued up until the nineteenth century along with other Midsummer festivities continued - although frowned upon by the 'Reformed' establishment. Traditional Midsummer bonfires are still lit on Cornwall tors where they also celebrate Golowan, which normally starts on the Friday nearest St John's Day and is a revival of the Feast of St John (Gol-Jowan) with fireworks and bonfires.
Other customs on St. John’s Eve are many and varied, here in Spain it is when many young people plan to stay up all night (shortest night), there are a plethora of events and beach parties, skinny-dipping is becoming popular (no, I didn’t start it!) although St. John’s wort (St. John’s...get it?) was popular with the girlies who hoped to attract/ divine a future lover.
Older customs included decking the house or the entrance with lilies and St. John’s wort and other plants/herbs, all thought to have magical healing properties, including vervain and trefoil; rather confusingly despite St. John’s night being called verbena (Vervain) the herb is an entirely different one to St John's Wort although they are connected as both are gentle nerve tonics, boosting the nervous system and restoring energy levels to normal.

The magical powers often associated with verbena/vervain were thought to derive from the belief that it was used to staunch Jesus's wounds after being taken down from the cross. This is possible but it was used long before and has a long history of use in purification: King Solomon cleansed the Temple with vervain, and the Romans placed it on altars in honor of Venus and Diana; Roman soldiers also carried vervain with them into battle, and homes were sprinkled with an infusion of verbena to keep out evil. The name Verbena was in fact the Old Romad name for all their 'altar plants' although there were actually several differnet plants used. Vervain/verbena was used for various infections but especially of the bladder (calculus etc...) and appropriately the name in Celtic ferfaen, from fer (to drive away/get rid of) and faen (stone). Another ancient derivation given by some is Herba veneris, because of its apparent aphrodisiac qualities (hmmmm) and priests used it for sacrifices, hence the name Herba Sacra. The druids, magicians and sorcerers have always used in various concoctions rites and incantations; pagan people held vervain over fires to protect their livestock and would spread it over their fields at Summer Solstice to make sure they would be fertile, this continues today apparently, as Pagans strew it over their gardens. All the following herbs/plants are associated with Midsummer (amongst other things): Basil, Dogwood, Elder, Fennel, Fern, Hemp, Larkspur, Lavender, Lemon, Lemon Verbena (not the same family), Mistletoe, Oak, Pine, Rose, Thyme, Wisteria (and several others).

Nowadays there are bonfires, fireworks, parties etc plus attractions/sideshows of all sorts...as with many traditional 'days', it’s becoming a bit diluted and more of a hyped funfair type celebration…however, anyone care to join me?...

S.O.