We are not going back to the origins of fire worship and its later conversion to Christianity dedicated to John the Baptist. We will remain in nearer times where documental proofs will let us check the way in which Spanish people and specially those in the Mediterranean cost celebrate the arrival of summer solstice around purifying bonfires.
In Alicante, the fire ritual still survived throughout centuries. It was about a farming celebration in which farmers celebrated the longest day of the year for the crop to be harvested and the shortest night for evil destruction. Later, this tradition was taken to the city because Alicante and its fertile region always were at par. This way, it can be demonstrated that the first documental news about this primitive bonfires goes back to 1822 on an edict published by the major who ordered: “…not to light bonfires on the street, not even to fire shots and fireworks at Saint John (John the Baptist) and consecutive nights”.
Authorities forbid bonfires year after year, but people went on burning them as loyal followers of their traditions. In 1881, the edict forbiding to light bonfires wasn’t published caused by a city hall mistake, and according to a daily of that time “…once started the celebrations with the festival of Saint John, it was permitted that those peaceful people let off steam with bonfires and firecrackers.” Taking advantage of the absense of prohibitions, neighbours grouped together on the streets establishing the “festes de carrer” (street festivals), with popular games, music of “dulzaina” and “tabalet” (popular instruments in the zone) and appearing the ancestors of today “ninots” (some kind of dolls), shaped in grothesque figures imitating any person criticised by the neighbourhood.
Neibourhood bonfires were present in our streets despite the constant prohibitions and they should be quite noisy because documents of the most wealthy families are kept like this Mr. Pobil’s addressed to the major: “I beg that you take suitable ways for that so scandalous facts of other years don’t happen at Saint John and Sant Peter nights, because that facts form a bad concept of this town culture”. It was in 1887 and seventy years of obstacles to bonfires by the authorities and the aristocracy of the town were carryed.
But it was in 1928 when the finally reorientation to such chased tradition is produced. It’s created an assosiation called “Alicante Atracción”, dedicated to fomment the city tourism, because in that time Cantabric beaches were more popular. The figure of José María Py appears here, who, once explained “Las Fallas de Valencia” birth (another kind of bonfires), wrote: “’Hogueras de Alicante’ (Alicante Bonfires) are well known because of its tradition from remote times, Alicante people we all should give this celebration the same character given to Valencian Fallas”. This idea pursued to attract tourism, as Valencia did, was accepted by the leading class and they authorised the assosiation “Alicante Atracción” to organize the first “Hogueras de Alicante” (Alicante Bonfires) (the first ones permitted by the city hall).
Later, it was known that José María Py played his cards to make this celebration official with the idea of bringing tourists, despite his consideration of “Hogueras” as use and enjoy of Alicante people.
The first year success was incredible and as the daily “El Día” (1928) wrote: “’Les fogueres’ (Valencian call form to “Bonfires”) have been such an event in the history of Alicante, more than one hundred thousand people watched ‘la cremá’ (the lighting of those bonfires)”.
Without knowing, two things had been achieved: making the celebration official and attracting tourists, since it was so crowded of people that even Manuel Arques Such declared to press: “people, these good people, was like frightened of that they had made, it seemed as a child thinking having made sin”.
As something logic, valencian critics appeared suddenly and, in 1929 a Falla (some kind of bonfire) refered to Alicante Bonfires with the slogan “Repeating apes”. But that fact, instead of daunting Alicante people, even estimulated them more, and in few years more than thirty bonfires appeared with the complement of “Barraca”, a limited place set up in the street and adorned with an allegorical door to access in. That place called “Barraca” contained the night festivals and it was possible to enjoy the wonderful Alicante gastronomy in there.
The same way, after 1932, Alicante Bonfires established the maximun representation of this celebration: “La Bellesa del Foc” (Fire Beauty), position elected each year among all the Beauties representing each Bonfire Committee.
As years have passed, the number of Bonfire Committees has amounted to nearly ninety, distributed across all the city areas, the same way as Barraca Committees, with more than seventy, and being more than ten thousand the people participating in our celebration.
Once declared as National Touristic Interest, and later as International Touristic Interest, today Alicante Bonfires are, besides, Official Celebrations of the city of Alicante.
