Aragüeños celebrated Saint John the Baptist

With different religious and cultural events, this June 24, Aragüeños celebrated the birth of Saint John the Baptist, a tradition that represents the syncretism between the veneration of the saints of the Catholic Church and those worshiped by African slaves.

The celebrations had the participation of almost a hundred brotherhoods that live in the state of Aragua, mainly in the coastal area, including the towns of Ocumare, Cuyagua, Cata, Cumboto, Chuao, Cepe and Choroní, who held masses, processions and parties in honor of the Saint.

In what is a tradition cultivated for more than 300 years, to the sound of the drum and the sangueo, the devotees of San Juan Bautista sang and danced dressed in multicolored costumes, which represent the butterflies that adorn the rivers when winter arrives, which It is their way of thanking the Saint for the favors granted and raising their requests.

In the town of Chuao, Mariño municipality, the celebrations began this Sunday night, when the image of the Saint was taken from the Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Concepción church and placed in front of the temple, where the Sanjuaneras danced the image of San Juan Niño , leaving in procession to his house to the rhythm of the drums.

This June 24, Saint John’s birthday, the believers continued the journey with the image of the Saint through the streets of the town, until around three in the followingnoon, when it was taken to their house amidst fireworks and the incessant beating of the drums.

A tradition extended beyond the coastal zone

With almost a hundred brotherhoods formed to date, Aragua concentrates 11 of the original or historical brotherhoods, which have been cultivating this manifestation for more than 300 years, which has spread beyond the coastal area of ​​the entity, with a large representation in communities of the Aragüeña capital.

Among the most representative brotherhoods are that of Reina Faneite, in the La Coromoto sector; Estilita de Tovar, in the El Recurso neighborhood; that of José Neno Uribe, in the La Cruz sector of El Limón and that of Martín Flores in the El Milagro neighborhood.

Likewise, the Saint is celebrated in sectors such as January 23, Santa Rosa, Campo Alegre, Barrio Bolívar, Sugar Cane and El Limón.

Sanjuaneros also joined the celebration in towns such as Santa Rita, Cagua, Santa Cruz and La Victoria, with songs of sirens, décimas and the beating of drums.

Particularities of the celebration

The tradition of Saint John is full of symbology, the first thing you see is the saint’s index finger pointing upward, which signals the arrival of the rains and the fruitfulness of the food harvest. Likewise, the dances of each of the coastal towns have their own drumbeat, which differentiates them from the rest.

The drums are made from avocado trunks and the sticks to play them are made from the roots of a tree, called makuaya. Meanwhile, the Saint’s bearer is known as “Saint John’s donkey”, a man who offered the Saint the promise of dancing him for a certain number of years or until his physical conditions allow it.

Special Session

Being one of the largest cultural manifestations in the Aragüeña capital, the Girardot Municipal Council held a Special Session in one of the houses of San Juan Bautista, located in the La Coromoto sector of Maracay.

“It is a day to pay tribute to our cultural roots, to the faith that unites us and to the identity that defines us as the people of Girardot,” commented Councilman Pablo Alvarado.

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  Residents of Chuao raised their prayers to the Saint who gives everything. Photo: Mari Cruz Barrios

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  With songs of sirens, tenths and ringing they honored the Saint in different Aragüeña towns. Photo: Linares Alcántara Mayor’s Office