‘We don't know when São João was first celebrated here; the oldest reference is from Fernão Lopes, in the 14th century,’ says journalist Germano Silva, but he points out that ‘there's a song that says something like even the millers of Moirama celebrated St John, so it's possible that it's much older.’

For this historic journalist and lover of the city, São João is now ‘a democratic festival because it's a night when there are no class distinctions. Nobody knows who they're hitting with the hammer. People come out into the street and celebrate by greeting each other democratically, hitting each other with the leek, the hammer, sometimes with the cidreira.’ According to Germano, ‘the richness’ of São João lies in the fact that it ‘belongs to the people’, emphasising that this festival ‘conveys the feeling of freedom that people have to spend an entire night greeting each other’.

It was precisely with the help of this profound connoisseur of the history of the city of Porto that we created a kind of compendium, ‘São João do Porto from A to Z’, which aims to offer a comprehensive overview of the traditions and symbols that make this festival a unique experience. Over time, some practices have evolved, but their essence remains unchanged.

Leeks: In the past, they were an important symbol on St John's night. ‘In the 19th century, there were lots of plots of land in the city where leeks grew wild, and people would pass by and pick them,’ he says. It was used in the streets, where revellers greeted each other amicably by hitting each other with it, ‘a fraternal gesture that symbolised protection and good luck’. Afterwards, people hung it on the main wall of their house to ward off the evil eye.

Lamb: The culinary tradition of São João included the consumption of anho (lamb) or roast mutton. In the neighbourhoods, those who didn't have an oven would take the lamb to the local bakeries to be roasted in a pingadeira (‘which used to be bought at the Senhora da Hora festivities’). ‘I'm from the days when sheep came in vans and were killed there, by the river, and those who could afford it would buy a whole sheep,’ says Germano. According to him, before the raid went out at midnight, people would deliver the pieces of meat to the bakeries to be roasted overnight and then pick them up the next morning. The lamb, accompanied by roast potatoes and oven rice, was the festive meal for São João day's lunch. There was also the tradition of drinking coffee and eating hot bread with butter at midnight on 24 June.

Arraial: Arraials are open-air parties with dancing that take place in various neighbourhoods in Porto, where the community comes together to dance, eat and celebrate, reinforcing the inclusive and democratic nature of this festival. There are more than four dozen festivals taking place in all the city's neighbourhoods from the second half of June onwards.

São João Balloon: The launching of paper balloons is an ancient tradition which, like the bonfire, symbolises sun worship and celebrates the summer solstice with fire, an element of nature. Germano says that on Cruzinho Island, where he lived, it was the children who made the St John's balloon. ‘We would buy the paper, the wire, the wick and prepare the balloon, as well as the bambolins to decorate the island.’ - In 2017 Porto gained another paper balloon maker who has been sharing his art in various São João balloon workshops.

Carnation: ‘In the old days, a girl would pick a carnation before sunrise on 23 June, so before the night of St John's Day, throw it out of the window into the street and watch for it. If the first boy who passed by bent down and picked it up, it meant that she was going to get married soon. If the boy walked past indifferent to the carnation, it would take longer,’ says Germano.

Douro: People who bathed in the river Douro before sunrise ‘caught the dews, the dew of St John, and were immune to disease for a year,’ says Germano. ‘Over time, things changed and, at the beginning of the 19th century, the custom of bathing in the sea began; then, the bathers on Ourigo beach said that if you bathed in the sea before sunrise, you would be protected from illness not for a year, but for five years.’ He adds, laughing: ‘That was marketing at work!’

Farturas (and other snacks): This year, from 7 to 30 June, the amusements and farturas stalls will be strategically located. Alameda das Fontainhas continues to have the largest concentration, making it accessible to all those who keep their celebrations in Baixa. Beyond the Arrábida Bridge, the Jardim do Cálem will also be a place for those who need to stop for some good calories. Finally, almost at Foz, Passeio Alegre will also have street food to refresh those who have had a long night.

Fireworks: The fireworks display at midnight is one of the most eagerly awaited moments of St John's Day, lighting up the skies of Porto and Gaia and reflecting off the waters of the River Douro. There are always great disputes about the best place to watch the fireworks, so we didn't want to be left out of the game of suggestions. For a traditional but crowded viewpoint, we suggest the Miradouro de São Bento da Vitória. For something a little more out of the way, the Alfândega Tunnel shows the other side of the fire, and lends itself to bridging the gap between the Campanhã and Fontainhas festivities. Finally, and for those who like to feel the fire up close - on the Guindalense terrace you almost have to see the fire with sunglasses, although it doesn't allow you to capture the action closer to the river.

Bonfire: Jumping over the bonfire is a ritual of purification and luck, and lovers used to jump together. Germano Silva explains that, historically, bonfires were a way of thanking the elements of nature for the fertility of the land.

Fontainhas, the mecca of São João: For a long time, Fontainhas was the mecca of São João in Porto; you had to come. Although São João das Fontainhas isn't very old, it dates back to the mid-19th century,’ says Germano. According to the historian, one day a resident decided to make a waterfall with just two elements, a life-size figure of Jesus Christ and St John the Baptist. ‘It's the scene of the baptism, on the banks of the River Jordan, and this man offered coffee and rice pudding to anyone who came to visit the waterfall, and it became an almost obligatory visit.’ He recalls: ‘When I was a boy, you used to go to Fontainhas and then go down to the riverside to take that bath before sunrise so you'd be immune to disease for a year.’

Basil: An aromatic plant that lovers gave to each other. This practice was a way of expressing loving feelings. ‘Boys and girls would give each other basil along with a loving message, which was initially passed on orally. Now, they put up a little flag with a quatrain,’ says Germano, recalling the “Jornal de Notícias” São João quatrains competition, which has been running since 1929, and which began on the initiative of journalist Álvaro Machado.

Agenda Porto went to meet one of the country's largest producers of basil, whose land is just next door, in Pedrouços, Maia, and you can read the report here.

Hammer: Introduced in the 1960s, the colourful plastic hammer started out as a toy for children, then became a toy for university students until it became a symbol of São João, gradually replacing the leek, despite some initial resistance from conservatives. ‘The students commissioned the Estrela do Paraíso plastics factory, which was near Lapa, to make an object that would make noise to be used at the Queima das Fitas,’ he recalls. Manuel António Boaventura, as the entrepreneur was called, added a whistle at the end to his already noisy creation. ‘The students liked it and he sold a lot of them during the month of May, but he had a few bags left over and went to sell them around São João. It was a success! The little hammers caught on!’

However, there were those who turned up their noses at the pim pim of the hammers and called for the return of the leek. In 1970, ‘a more conservative elite, who wanted the traditional São João’, asked the Porto City Council to do away with the hammers, and the mayor at the time also considered that they went against the traditions of São João. ‘There were petitions and the case went to the Civil Government,’ which banned the use of the toy during São João and imposed fines of 70 escudos on anyone who didn't comply. Meanwhile, businessman Manuel Boaventura insisted on selling the hammers and went to court. The hearings dragged on for three years until, in 1973, the Supreme Court of Justice ruled in his favour and the hammers returned to the festivities.

Pimba: Pimba music, with its simple lyrics and contagious rhythms, dominates St John's celebrations in arraiais and bailaricos, creating a joyful and festive atmosphere. Check out the programme for St John's where you can get your dance on.

Rusgas: Rusgas are informal parades where groups of people walk through the streets singing, dancing and playing instruments. Germano Silva describes them as ‘spontaneous formations’, reflecting the community spirit and collective joy of São João. In this regard, he shares his childhood memories of Ilha do Cruzinho. ‘There was a festive committee that prepared for São João throughout the year. It wasn't easy because there was no money and you had to buy the paper to make the balloons and bambolins. So the boys would look for iron and wires to sell to scrap dealers, and the money would go to the festive committee.’

When the night of St John's arrived, the raid took place: ‘There were no instruments, apart from a cavaquinho. The rest was pots and pans, and it was noise, more than music, it was a lot of noise,’ he laughs. ‘The rusga would go out with a ramalho, [a branch of] oak, and a balloon, which had a candle inside, and which would end up falling.’ Today, the rusgas are part of the official programme of São João do Porto. This year, the parade with the municipality's seven parishes, which starts in Santa Catarina and goes to Praça Humberto Delgado, takes place on the evening of 22 June. It's in front of the Town Hall that the parishes will perform in front of a panel of judges, and they'll ‘strip off’ to show which parish raids best.