Saint John's Water

This year finally, with the help of my older son, I managed to participate in this particular ritual that made me feel a lot hippie!

During the night between the 23rd and the 24th of June, in Sardinia and in other parts of Italy and more, we celebrate a ritual of purification called Saint John's Water (Acqua di San Giovanni).

The origins of this ritual are pre-Christian but like many others, it has been included in Christianism. Saint John's Water is a symbol of purification through water and fire. The date is important because it links the summer solstice (during which we have the maximum amount of sunlight, symbolized by the fire element) and the birth of Saint John the Baptist, who has a strong connection with water, due to the saving power of baptism.

It was a common belief that on Saint John's night, all the plants received a particular strength, given by the divine dew. Basically, this is a feminine ritual, during which, after sunset, we collect an odd number of fragrant flowers and plants in the countryside or in the garden: rosemary, mint, thyme, lemon, sage, laurel, helichrysum, roses, etc. We put them in an earthen bowl of water and leave them overnight to collect the dew (that symbolizes nature's gifts). There are no particular rules about the plants to collect, we are free to follow our instincts, making sure to not damage nature.

The day after, we use this extremely perfumed elixir to wash our hands, face, and body. It is said to have purifying and rejuvenating effects. 

On Saint John's night, in Sardinia, people traditionally lighted bonfires and in front of it made friendship pacts that could last all life long: these new friends were called Saint John's godfathers and godmothers.

We didn't light any bonfire because we were so exhausted that we went straight to bed but the day after we washed our hands and face and the water was so incredibly scented that the hippie part of me promised to prepare it again soon, even if it's not Saint John's day!