St. John’s Day
Observed annually around the world, St. John’s Day is a holiday that falls on June 24th. It celebrates the birthday of St. John the Baptist. Although no one actually knows the birth date of this saint, it is mentioned in the Gospel of Luke that he was born 6 months before Jesus.
Since traditionally Jesus’ birthday has been observed on the 25th of December, that means that his birthday was likely on June 24th or 25th. This holiday is unlike most other holidays that celebrate a particular saint because those holidays are usually observed on the saint’s death, while this one is observed on St. John’s birthday.
The History Of St. John’s Day
This holiday was first created by the Catholic Church during the 4th century. As we said above, the holiday was placed on what the church perceived to be his birthday according to scripture.
Because this holiday coincided with many of the early pagan Midsummer rituals celebrating the summer solstice, it became a very popular holiday in many European countries including Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Latvia, and Lithuania. However, it’s also a holiday that’s celebrated all across Europe and is celebrated in the U.S. as well.
Facts About St. John The Baptist
St. John the Baptist is an interesting biblical figure that has quite a bit written about him. So much, in fact, that we’ve come up with a list of facts about him. So without further ado, below are some of the facts we’ve learned about St. John the Baptist and would now like to share with everyone.
- John the Baptist was born to Zacharias and Elizabeth.
- It’s believed that John was the second cousin to Jesus.
- Until the start of his ministry, John lived in the wilderness.
- Elizabeth was barren due to her age, according to the Gospel of Luke.
- The angel Gabriel told Zacharias that Elizabeth would bear a child.
- John baptized people in the River Jordan once they confessed their sins.
- John is also seen as a prophet in Islam.
- Herodias asked for the head of John on a platter. John was beheaded in 31 A.D.
- John is believed to have been born 6 months before Jesus.
- When John lived in the desert of Judea, he wore a camel-hair garment and sustained himself on dried locusts and wild honey.
- While John was imprisoned, his disciples visited him.
- John was a descendant of Aaron from the tribe of Levi.
- John was born into a priestly family.
Observing St. John’s Day
St. John’s Day is celebrated with religious ceremonies and is sometimes conflated with Midsummer celebrations in some countries. Other celebrations held on this day include parades and concerts. While observing this holiday, be sure to use the hashtag #StJohnsDay to spread the word about it on the internet.
