St. John's Eve

Saint John's Eve, starting at sunset on 23 June, is the eve of celebration before the Feast Day of Saint John the Baptist.


 * The Gospel of Luke (Luke 1:26–37, 56–57) states that John was born six months before Jesus; therefore, the feast of John the Baptist was fixed on 24 June, six months before Christmas according to the old Roman calculation (ante diem VIII Kalendas Iulias). This feast day is one of the very few saints' days which commemorates the anniversary of the birth, rather than the death, of the saint being honoured.
 * The Feast of Saint John closely coincides with the June solstice, also referred to as Midsummer in the Northern Hemisphere. The Christian holy day is fixed at 24 June; but in most countries festivities are mostly held the night before, on Saint John's Eve. This holiday is celebrated in many places.
 * Historically, this date has been venerated in the practice of Louisiana Voodoo. The famous Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau was said to have held ceremonies on the Bayou St. John, in New Orleans, commemorating St John's Eve. Many New Orleans residents still keep the tradition alive.

What can you tell me about St. John's Eve?
Sergeant Frick:


 * A bunch of crazies out there on St. John's Eve, that's what. We're busy all night.
 * Oh, your usual howl-at-the-mooners, I guess. They don't look no weirder than them that comes in during Mardi Gras. Never can tell, though.

Franklin Mosely:


 * That's comin' up, isn't it? We get some occasional weirdness in the Quater, but nothin' much. Used to have a lot of strange things happen though, or so I hear.

Rebecca Knight:


 * St. John's Eve? Hmmm. I remember when I was a girl, we always had a St. John's Eve mass. The mass was said at midnight and we held candles.... One time, on the way home, we were waylaid by a large group of drunken revelers. They didn't hurt us, but I was frightened! My father was furious! We never went to St. John's Eve mass after that."
 * I haven't celebrated it in years, Gabriel. I'm sure there's still mass in the more traditional churches, but I don't go.

Stonewall King:


 * All I know is, it's some kind of Voodoo holiday.
 * People who believe in that stuff think it's a real special night. Magical.

Willy Walker:


 * It's the biggest night of the year in Voodoo.

Malia Gedde:


 * I believe it's some sort of local holiday, but I don't know much about it.

Dr. John:


 * It is one of the important ceremonial nights in Voodoo.
 * I am afraid I do not know the origins of St. John's Eve. I only know that it was a night of ritual long before Voodoo came to New Orleans.

Toussaint Gervais:


 * Why, St. John the Baptist is the patron Saint of Voodoo! Sometimes we get some WEIRD goin's on in the cemetery on that night -- more often the few nights before -- people takin' grave dirt, bones, and more!
 * Yup. Don't know what they do with them, but it can't be pretty.

Magentia Moonbeam:


 * St. John's Eve! It is the greatest night of the Voodoo year! There is always a traditional conclave on St. John's Eve. Most Voodoo churches these days hold functions in the church hall... but in the old days, they had ceremonies out in the wild. They wore animal masks and had a huge bonfire and dancing. I used to go when I was an apprentice. Sometimes in the swamp, you know, Bayou St. John. Sometimes at the lake, Lake Pontchartrain.
 * Special ceremonies are performed, and the Loa come to ride the faithful.
 * There is no night more powerful to Voodoo magic.

Professor Hartridge:


 * It's June 23rd -- the feats day of St. John the Baptist. But June 23rd has been a sacred day since the earliest times. Ancient Sun Worshippers used to roll a flaming wheel down a hill to celebrate the sun's descent on that day.

Mme. Cazaunoux:


 * St. John's Eve! Mais oui! I used to love the St. John's Eve mass at St. Louis Cathedral! Of course, it is also a night of great wickedness -- worse than All Hallow's Eve! They will corrupt anything, Father!

Trivia

 * Wolfgang Ritter claims to know nothing about St. John's Eve, but this is highly unlikely. The Ritters seem to be a highly religious Family and Johanni (as it's called in Germany) is celebrated throughout the whole of Germany in varying ways.