Feast of John the Baptist
Outside on the Church Lawn
June 21 5pm – 7pm
You can not go to church on June 21st. The doors will be locked. Congregants are invited to convene for feasting, liturgical fire and lots of music.
Bring something for the grill, and something to share, oh and tableware. Grills, drinks and deserts provided. Music and Feasting start directly at 5pm, and keeps going. Liturgy of the Bone Fire at 5 pm.
As Christianity entered pagan areas, midsummer celebrations were borrowed and transferred into new Christian holidays, often resulting in celebrations that mixed Christian traditions with pagan midsummer festivities. The 13th-century monk of Winchcomb, recorded how St. John’s Eve was celebrated in his time: the boys collect bones and certain other rubbish, and burn them, and there from a smoke is produced on the air. Bonfires (from bone fires) were lit to drive away dragons, which were abroad on St. John’s Eve, poisoning springs and wells.