St. John's Fires

In Alghero from June 19 to 23 - the saint's eve day - every year the Feast of St. John is celebrated. An event where the religious connotation mixes and mingles with the ancestral and almost magical one, during the five-day event a variety of performances are held: parades of horses and riders wearing the traditional clothes of Alghero, as well as sporting events and games. The climax of the festival is reached on the night of the 23rd, when bonfires are lit on the beach. This is when the "rite of comparatico" is held, during which pairs of people hold hands and jump over small bonfires sealing their bonds. At the end of the rite, another small ritual is celebrated, the "divination of molten lead in water," where the one who takes the small shape acquired from the lead can predict the work of her future husband. The celebration continues with fire performances, singing and music along the beach.