St John's Eve
- noun
- UK
:
Víspera de San Juan
- Villagers gathered to celebrate St John's Eve with bonfires and songs.
Examples
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In many countries, St John's Eve marks the beginning of summer festivities.
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Shakespeare references magical happenings on St John's Eve in his plays.
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Many people celebrate St John's Eve with bonfires.
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Have you ever attended a St John's Eve festival?
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In many countries, St John's Eve marks the beginning of summer festivities.
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Villagers gathered to celebrate St John's Eve with bonfires and songs.
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Have you ever attended a St John's Eve festival?
Synonyms
1
6.8
A night around the longest day of the year when people celebrate with fires and dancing
1
8.4
The evening before Midsummer Day when people celebrate with bonfires and dances
The night before Midsummer Day that people in some countries celebrate with bonfires and songs
The night before Midsummer Day when people in some countries celebrate with bonfires and festivals
Surface Forms
Morphology
St + John's + eve
The phrase is compositionally built from 'St' (Saint) + 'John's' (possessive of the name John) + 'eve' (the evening before an event), so its basic meaning — the evening before the feast/observance of Saint John — is directly derivable from the parts. Cultural details (Midsummer customs) may be new to learners, but the core referent is transparent and parallels similar constructions in many languages.
Etymology
St John's Eve comes from the night before St John's Day (June 24), when people long ago lit big bonfires and sang and danced to welcome summer. So, today St John's Eve still means 'the evening before' Midsummer and is linked to bonfires and local festivals.