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Photo: Nasapunta at the Carmen festivity; Armintza, 2012. Author: Akaitze Kamiruaga, Labayru Foundation Photo Archive.
In traditional agricultural societies, plants and trees have had an extensive and recurring presence. In particular, trees with a significant character and a strong community or prophylactic load that, during the spring period will protect the potential harvest. During summer, they can also commemorate a satisfactory harvest, evidenced or materialized in their unique presence. In these contexts, the so-called maypoles (maiatzeko zuhaitzak) or festive trees (tree or poplar of Saint Joan, Donienatxa, etc.) have been, and still are a common practice.
St John’s hermitage in Murgoitio. Berriz (Bizkaia). José Ignacio García Muñoz. Labayru Fundazioa Photographic Archive.
Between dawn and sunrise on St John’s Day, it is customary to place an oak or ash branch decorated with a bunch of herbs and flowers on front doors of houses and hermitages dedicated to the saint. Ears of wheat would also be added to the arrangement in earlier times, and a peeled splinter inserted in the wood of the branch to make a rustic cross. St John’s oak bouquet (sanjuan-haretxa, in Basque) is in point of fact a traditional symbol of the summer solstice.
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