Saint Jean-Baptiste Day is a holiday celebrated on 24th June in the Canadian province of Quebec. It was brought to Canada by French settlers celebrating the traditional feast day of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, the first mention of it being in 1606. It was declared a public holiday in Quebec in 1925, with publicly financed events. It is now a statutory holidays for all Quebecers.
The Nativity of John the Baptist is a high-ranking liturgical feast with the sole biblical account of the birth of John the Baptist comes from the Gospel of Luke. This day anticipates the feast of Christmas and is one of the oldest festivals of the Christian church, being listed by the Council of Agde in 506 as one of that region’s principal festivals.
All over Europe “Saint John’s fires” are lit on mountains and hilltops on the eve of his feast. Hidden treasures are said to lie open in lonely places waiting for the lucky finder. Divining rods should be cut on this day and herbs are given unusual powers of healing.
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