St. John’s Eve
Apparently John the Baptist was born six months before Jesus and so his birthday falls on June 24th and is celebrated with a feast day. Some cultures celebrate the eve of St. John’s Day with music, dancing, food and a celebration. This date is also venerated by Voodoo practitioners and Marie Laveau was said to hold ceremonies on Bayou St. John. Because of that our modern voodoo priestess Sallie Ann Glassman continues the ritual by holding a ceremony every year on St. John’s Eve (June 23rd) on the Magnolia Bridge over Bayou St. John. Everyone wears white and brings something for the altar and there is drumming, singing, dancing, and lots of mysterious water sprinkling. Here is a video from Katrina Film from 2008 – this celebration grew in importance after Katrina.
I ended up at the last minute finishing the dinner preparation, grabbing mother in law, a friend visiting, and Tin and heading over to the bridge for the year’s celebration. While the drums were going hot and heavy, I felt Tin’s hot little body moving to the drums – the only thing he had really responded to all day. And then the conch shell was blown – reminding me of the shofar and Yom Kippur.