Moments of natural changes, solstices and equinoxes, are usually linked to traditions that are drawn and mutated throughout the years. Some are centuries old, others are still being built today. Few, however, have the capacity to travel hundreds of kilometers to reach neighborhoods and towns, in this case, in the form of fire.
The Flama del Canigó is one of them: it is a flame that is kept alive in the Canigó massif and, every year, crosses roads, mountains and cities to end up lighting the bonfires of Sant Joan. Thus, this tradition with just over 70 years of history has become a common thread that connects the territory in one of the most popular celebrations in Catalonia.
This is how, before the firecrackers, the cocas and the outdoor dinners of the eve, Sant Joan begins in the Pyrenees. And the fire of the Flama del Canigó never goes out: throughout the year it is kept lit in the Castellet de Perpinyà and, on June 22, it is taken to the top of Canigó. At midnight, the fire of the flame is distributed with volunteers who decide to climb to the top, at 2,780 meters. Then, they begin their journey to the bonfires of hundreds of towns, with a device coordinated by Òmnium Cultural.
The volunteers, whether personally, from cultural entities or hiking or neighborhood groups, are in charge of transporting the flame, often in relays that last for hours and protecting the fire inside gas lamps. They have been doing so since 1955, when what is now a tradition began on the initiative of Francesc Pujades, a resident of Arles de Tec, at the foot of the massif, inspired by the poem Canigó by Jacint Verdaguer.
Barcelona also occupies a space in this story. Every year, the city receives the flame in Sant Jaume square in an act that officially kicks off the verbena. In it, emblematic figures of popular culture participate, such as gegants, castellers, music and dance, accompanying the arrival of the fire to the city center. This year the reception will begin with the departure from Camp Nou at 5 p.m., and will arrive at Sant Jaume square an hour later. Once the party in Sant Jaume is over, the fire will be distributed to different points of the city, including the Parlament and neighborhoods that will light fires and bonfires with it, such as those in Barceloneta and Guinardó.
The tradition has been traveling through Catalonia from Canigó for years, but it is one of those that is still being built. Although the flame had its beginnings in the mid-20th century, it has quickly taken root.
The city's bonfires coexist with an essential part of Sant Joan night: firecrackers. However, the way of experiencing this tradition is also changing. Without giving up pyrotechnics, more and more citizens are looking for alternatives that maintain the spectacular nature of the celebration, but without so much noise. Thus, colored fountains, sparklers, volcanoes and other eminently visual products are gaining ground against the more detonating articles.
The transformation is also reflected in the figures within the sector. Pyrotechnic companies like La Traca predict that low-noise products will already represent close to 65% of sales for the Sant Joan campaign, a trend that has not stopped growing in recent years. The low noise range is gaining strength, to adapt the tradition in a city more aware of the needs of groups such as children, people with auditory hypersensitivity, and animals.
This awareness has also shaped initiatives focused on facilitating the participation of people with auditory hypersensitivity, such as the sensory kits promoted by the Spanish Pyrotechnics Association (Aepiro), and distributed by companies such as the Catalan Petardos CM, with elements such as hearing protection and safety glasses. Josep Maria Vilardell, director of the company based in Palau Solità i Plegamans, argues that the sector must promote "the path towards more sustainable and socially more responsible pyrotechnics, especially at a time when society is increasingly aware of the importance of coexistence and respect for people with sensory sensitivities."
The initiative seeks for children, people with autism spectrum disorder, sensory anxiety or special sensitivity to noise to be able to enjoy the festivities with more comfort and safety, instead of having to choose to avoid them or suffer the noise despite not participating. This is the same objective pursued by the Cialfir group, parent company of La Traca, which has delivered 200 auditory hypersensitivity kits to the Ampans and Aspronis foundations. In parallel, sustainability gains prominence with specific recycling systems for pyrotechnic waste and with the progressive reduction of the most polluting materials in firecrackers, with the aim of moving towards a 21st century verbena, as Jordi Brau explained in an interview: "What we are doing is transforming the product range so as not to have to change traditions."
Thus, between traditions with decades of history and others that are emerging and adapting, the Sant Joan verbena continues to be celebrated as a deeply rooted festival that evolves without losing its essence, focused on renewal for the beginning of summer. Meanwhile, the Flama del Canigó travels the territory from hand to hand and pyrotechnics seeks new formulas to coexist with inclusion and sustainability, in a combination of permanence and transformation that reflects the very idea of renewal and change of cycle that Sant Joan embodies, through fire.