How are the celebrations of San Juan in Porto

Oporto, known as the Invicta City, is one of the main European cities and also stands out for its spectacular beauty. If you want to visit this beautiful Portuguese place in one of its most important points of the year, you should not miss its famous festival of San Juan, between the night of June 23 to 24, in which all the tripeiros come out to celebrate it in the streets. If you want to know how the San Juan fiestas are in Oporto, read on.

Fire Day

The festival of San Juan has clear pagan origins, such as the celebration of the summer solstice and the celebration of the sun and the purifying power of fire. Therefore it is not surprising that you find bonfires everywhere, and people testing their courage by jumping the flames, as in many parts of Spain.

Special mention deserves the fireworks show, usually about 15 minutes long, which can be admired at midnight from the banks of the Duero and which becomes one of the key points of the party. An ideal point to admire them is on the shore of Vila Nova de Gaia, next to the Don Luis bridge, from where you can see a great panoramic view of Porto.

In addition, San Juan has also been adopted as the patron saint of lovers in the city, so you also have a good excuse to visit the city as a couple.

Food and drink, do not miss

To start the party properly, you have to fill your stomach first to have a happy heart. You can not miss roasted sardines watered with good red wine, and to accompany, a pepper salad or a traditional green broth. You can take a place in any verbena or arraial of the many that you will find scattered around the streets of Porto that night, decorated with a multitude of colored lanterns and animated with popular music.

After the time of dinner and the fires, you can go dancing to any festival, where you will find live music.

Martelinhos and quadras

One of the many traditions associated with this party is to poke the head (friendly) right and left with the martelinhos or plastic hammers, so do not be surprised if they occasionally give you one.

During the festival of San Juan in Oporto, you can also see many mangericos, pots with basil plants decorated with carnations of paper and a flag with a stanza of four verses. They are the so-called quadras to San Juan, in which requests are made to the saint, ask for their protection or bless their loves.

And in the end, the sun again

For those who endure throughout the night, there is still one more stage in the festivity. And is that many do not miss the opportunity to put the brooch to San Juan greeting the arrival of the sun at dawn on the nearby beach of Foz . What better way to pay tribute to the sun than by saying good morning.