On Feb. 21, Dolores resident Dr. Janneli F. Miller will give a presentation about the summer solstice celebrations in Alicante, Spain. The event takes place at the Dolores Public Library from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
In Alicante, Spain, the month of June is devoted to summer solstice celebrations. The festival takes place throughout June in the Mediterranean city of roughly 300,000 and includes hourlong parades, music and dancing in the streets, fireworks displays, pyrotechnic explosions, and food and beer booths. It culminates on June 24 — the feast day of St. John — with the burning of giant statues all over the city.
Miller taught a course in Gender and Health at the University of Alicante in the summer of 2018 and will share some of her photos of the festival. See why she calls it a “pagan festival gone industrial world.”