St John was given the day to try and put a Christian meaning to a very pagan festival of midsummer, whether it's John the Baptist or any of the other 14 sainted Johns between 20th and 26th June.... (27 in total for the month). Being a quarter day, (Lady day 25/03, Michaelmas day 29/09 and Christmas day 25/12 being the others), it was also a day when contracts were signed, house moves completed (thus rubbish created and presumably destroyed), new jobs found and started. Those who worked seasonal jobs would be changing from sowing and ploughing to reaping and haymaking. In all, it was a day of upheaval and change, and a popular time for marriage (all those Beltane celebration babies now confirmed as being on the way and the Samhain ones about to be born.....), plus people were still fairly fresh from the yearly bath in May. Longer daylight hours meant that you could fit a wedding in around your usual jobs and the evenings were warm enough for a dance or celebration without wasting candles or lamps.

Personally I celebrated it with a ramble in the new mown hay (we followed the farmer on his reaper), a walk where the oats and beans and barley grow, and a screaming migraine that had me throwing up in a darkened room. I know of no folk songs that mention throwing up in a darkened room but I daresay someone will come up with one.

LTS