Summer is here, and we begin a new series: the great summer festivals of Spain. First, the shortest night of the year: the Night of San Juan, when the beaches are full of fires.
Learn from Songs · Festivals: Summer in Spain · Part 1 of 4 · A1–A2
San Juan: Fire on the Beach
Part 1 of the Summer in Spain series: the Night of San Juan, 23 June, with bonfires on the beach, fireworks, wishes and a midnight swim. Past simple for a night out (we went, we jumped, we swam), there was / there were, time words (at midnight, after that), and summer words, with Philo, Sophia, Marcos, Demetria and a hit song called “Fire”.
SOPHIA
MARCOS
Fire on the beach? That sounds amazing!
SOPHIA
It is. Last night was San Juan, so tell me: what did you do? Did you jump over a fire? Did you swim at midnight? Our song is called “Fire”, a soft, warm song from 1978.
DEMETRIA
I went to the beach with my family!
Before you listen: the song
Spain, the night of 23 June
The Night of San Juan (Saint John) is on 23 June, the night before the feast of Saint John the Baptist on 24 June. It is close to the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, and people have celebrated midsummer with fire for thousands of years.
In Spain, people go to the beach with family and friends. They make bonfires in the sand, eat sardines and play music. Some people jump over the fire three times for good luck. Some write their wishes or bad memories on paper and burn them. At midnight many people run into the sea, or jump over seven waves. In Málaga, people burn big dolls called júas on the beaches. In Alicante, the Hogueras festival burns enormous figures in the streets, and in Catalonia people eat a sweet cake, the coca de Sant Joan.
Our song: “Fire” was written by Bruce Springsteen and became a big hit for the Pointer Sisters, three American sisters, in 1979. There are other famous songs called “Fire” too: by the Ohio Players (1974) and by the Crazy World of Arthur Brown (1968), who sang it wearing a burning helmet!
Light a fire, make a wish, and share the night with the people you love.
Listen: Fire
PHILO
Listen to the Pointer Sisters. Is the song fast or slow? Is it loud or soft? How does it make you feel?
SOPHIA
Then answer Section A.
🔥 Listen to the song: “Fire” (Bruce Springsteen, 1978), sung by the Pointer Sisters.Find the recording →
📜 Read the words while you listen: “Fire”, Pointer Sisters.Read the lyrics →
The past simple: last night
MARCOS
Last night we went to the beach. We made a fire. I jumped over it. We swam at midnight. I didn’t sleep!
SOPHIA
Regular: jump → jumped, play → played. Irregular: go → went, make → made, swim → swam, eat → ate, see → saw. Questions: Did you swim? Yes, I did.
There was / there were
DEMETRIA
There was a big fire. There were fireworks. There were lots of people on the beach. Was there music? Yes, there was.
SOPHIA
There was + singular, there were + plural. The past of there is / there are.
Telling the story in order
PHILO
First we ate sardines. Then we made a fire. At midnight we jumped over the waves. After that we watched the fireworks. Finally we went home.
SOPHIA
Time words: first, then, at midnight, after that, later, finally. Summer words: a bonfire, the sand, a wave, a wish, fireworks, sardines, a barbecue, midnight.
Sophia’s comparison: midsummer fires
PHILO
In summer we have no fire festival, but at the feast of Tabernacles in the autumn, in the Temple in Jerusalem, great golden lamps are lit, and people dance with torches all night. They say the whole city shines.
SOPHIA
And we Greeks light fires for our gods on the hills. Midsummer is when the sun is strongest, and people everywhere answer it with fire and music.
Sophia’s summary
| Words and forms | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| went, made, swam, ate, saw | irregular past simple | We went to the beach. |
| jumped, played, watched | regular past simple | I jumped over the fire. |
| there was / there were | the past of there is / are | There were fireworks. |
| first, then, at midnight, after that, finally | telling a story in order | At midnight we swam. |
| bonfire, wave, wish, fireworks | summer words | We made a bonfire. |
Practice
Listen to the song for Section A, then do the rest. Press “Check my answers” at the end. You can try again as many times as you like.
A · Listen: the song
Listen to the song and choose the best answer.
1. When is the Night of San Juan?
2. What do people make on the beach?
3. What do some people jump over three times?
4. What do people burn in Málaga?
5. Who wrote the song “Fire”?
6. What do some people write on paper and burn?
B · Grammar and vocabulary
Write the missing word or words.
7. Last night we to the beach. (go)
8. I over the fire. (jump)
9. We at midnight. (swim)
10. There fireworks. (plural)
11. There a big fire. (singular)
12. you swim? Yes, I did.
C · Right or wrong?
Is the sentence correct English?
13. “We goed to the beach.”
14. “There were lots of people.”
15. “Did you jumped over the fire?”
16. “At midnight we swam in the sea.”
Talk and write
Discussion and writing
Last night. In pairs, ask about San Juan (or any summer night): Where did you go? Was there a fire? Did you swim?
Talk. 1. What do you do on the Night of San Juan? 2. What is your best summer memory? 3. What wish would you burn in the fire?
Write (60–80 words). My Night of San Juan. Write about the night in the past simple, with there was / there were and time words.