The Night of St. John the Baptist

Rites, myths, habits, customs and
traditions from dusk to dawn

Case Troiano
Wednesday 23 June 2021 from 8.30 pm

"That of San Giovanni is a magical night in which moments of collectivity alternate with moments of great intimacy, in which bonds of friendship are strengthened, through the exchange of 'ramajetto', a bouquet composed of 9 herbs (St. John's wort, bay leaf, sage , myrtle, fern, mint, rosemary, thyme and basil), but you also purify yourself from your daily life, participating in the ritual of water and fire. The event which, again this year, will take place in Borgo Case Troiano, motorization area (Pe), will allow you to rediscover ancient rites and traditions, those roots that must be protected and handed down in order not to lose a true heritage of knowledge ". 'The Night of St. John', organized by the Fontevecchia Association will kick off on Wednesday 23 June with the collection of herbs and nuts to end on St. John's Day.

The feast of San Giovanni is the most ineffable and difficult to describe and interpret, but it has a charm that emanates from the property of establishing a bond between individuals. 'God forgives, St. John no' our grandparents used to say and this popular certainty goes beyond the good presuppositions of the Christian faith by drawing on a concept of Nature with strict laws. Perhaps St. John is the ancient God Janus who looks to the past winter and the coming summer, guardian of the passage and of the crops, grown and blessed by water and sunlight. But the rigor of San Giovanni is also what imposes fear and respect for these natural elements.

"The event will be articulated through moments of confrontation, debate, sacred moments and propitiatory rites that have their roots very far, and that we have recovered thanks to the story of our grandparents and the elderly of the Borgo - explained the President of the Fontevecchia Luciano Troiano Association -. We will start with the collection of herbs to make ramajetto and walnuts to prepare the nocino liqueur. Then, there will be space for sacred and profane rites, ceremonies, myths, uses, customs and traditions "

On Wednesday 23 June, at 6 pm, the celebrations will open with the opening of the popular devotional altar set up in the Borgo, the meaning of which will be explained, with the image of San Giovannino from the mid-1800s from Munich. Once in the large vegetable garden of the village, the ritual will end with the lighting of the fire ". There follow the tales of Abruzzo and Southern customs and traditions linked to this night. Immediately after we will have the exchange of the 'ramajetto', for the ancient rite of the 'comparative', which our grandparents used to strengthen friendships and mutual help. So those who want to can exchange a bouquet made with nine aromatic herbs with their best friend following a propitiatory rite that involves the symbolic crossing of the Jordan represented by a small lake that would-be buddies will have to cross arm in arm and barefoot. The program also includes the jump of fire, immersion in water, the comparative in what is a real traditional path.

Participation is allowed for a limited number, upon reservation, and is free