It’s official, we’re counting down to the longest night of the year. .. and so that the tradition is ‘fulfilled to the letter’, the launch of the typical São João (Saint John’s balloons) is authorized again.
According to the city councils of Porto and of Vila Nova de Gaia as in previous years, the launch of the typical balloons is allowed, but only for a short period of time.
According to the same source, the launch is only allowed by Autoridade Nacional de Aviação Civil (ANAC) between 9.45pm on June 23 and 1am on June 24. During this period, Aeroporto Sá Carneiro’s airspace will be closed so that the necessary safety conditions can be met.
St. John’s balloons & other traditions
Although St. John is the most celebrated saint, the truth is that he is not the most celebrated saint patron saint of the city as we told you in another article. Nonetheless, the festival is intensely experienced by the locals and attracts countless tourists to the city every year.
Although it is a very famous celebration, it is true that its origins, like those of the balloon launch, go back a long way. In fact, today it is a Christian festival, but long before that it was a pagan festival that marked the summer solstice and fertility.
In this context, we want to highlight not only the St. John’s balloons, but also other associated traditions:
- Leek flower: a pagan tradition that continues to this day. At the time, it was a symbol of male fertility and was used to hit the heads of passing individuals.
- Cascades: very common in Porto and the surrounding area, the Sanjoaninas cascades are a kind of nativity scene, representing various arts and crafts.
- Martelinhos de São João: according to the Porto Cultural Agenda, they were created in the 1960s by Manuel António Boaventura, in Rio Tinto, to serve as toys. After being used at the Queima das Fitas, they began to ‘invade’ the nights of São João.
- St. John’s Balloons: their origin also dates back to pagan times, as a way of celebrating the summer solstice. On the longest night of the year, they fill Porto’s sky with lights.