Hagiography played an important role in the literary writings of early Christianity. From the 2nd century hagiographies were circulated among persecuted Christian groups to commemorate the martyrs and apostles of the Church. Hagiographies were an avenue to encourage perseverance and faithfulness. The hagiographies that included John the Baptizer inspired one of the most ancient festivals of the Christian Church and shaped a holiday celebrated in Canada to this day.
A hagiography is a profile of a saint or venerated person. It was used in the English language in the early 1800s by combining the Greek words hagio, meaning holy or sacred, and graphein, meaning to write. Graphein was also a Greek root word of the English words biography (the history of a person’s life) and calligraphy (artistic, stylized, or elegant handwriting or lettering).
Each year on June 24th, nearly 10 million Canadian Francophones celebrate their traditions and the French language in tandem with Saint Jean Baptiste Day. It has been a public holiday in Quebec since 1925. June 24 also coincides with the summer solstice, a day of ancient rituals celebrating the light and power of the sun and to mark the start of the farming season.
Early hagiographies dated the Nativity (or birth) of John the Baptist on June 24. The Nativity of John the Baptist was listed by the Council of Agde (southern France) in 506 AD as one of that region's principal festivals. It was a day celebrated with three Masses: a vigil the night before, at dawn, and at midday.
June 24 comes three months after the Christian celebration on March 25, The Annunciation, when the angel Gabriel told Mary that she was chosen to bear the Messiah and that her cousin Elizabeth (the mother of John) was in her sixth month of pregnancy. The Annunciation on March 25 was the date chosen because it is 9 months before the celebration of the birth of Jesus on December 25. (The Christian Church does not promote these as the exact day of the events but assigned them to commemorate the significant occasions of Christian history.)
Colonial archives of New France in Canada report a dazzling fire held the evening of June 23, 1636 to begin the celebrations of Saint Jean Baptiste Day. Governor Montmagny consecrated a pyre just before it was set aflame with a resounding salvo of musket fire.
Saint Jean Baptiste Day took on new meaning for French Canadians during the English administration of Quebec. At the initiative of journalist Ludger Duvernay, a banquet was held on Saint-Antoine Street in Montréal on June 24, 1834, to discuss a future patriotic society dedicated to promoting French interests in the heart of the North American continent. Thereafter June 24 took a highly political turn. Fête Nationale du Québec was officially designated as Quebec's National Holiday in 1977 by the government of René Lévesque.
Perhaps the most famous Saint Jean Baptiste Day (Fête Nationale du Québec) celebration is in Quebec City.
Célébrer la fête nationale du Québec dans la capitale. On June 23, meet on the Plains of Abraham for the Grand Spectacle of the National Holiday in Quebec! There will be activities for the whole family on June 24.
At 7:30 p.m., the opening act will kick off with the Alaclair Ensemble. With seven electrifying albums to their name, the Quebec hip-hop collective is sure to delight a large crowd! At 9 p.m., more than fifty artists will take to the stage to thrill the crowd. Under the co-artistic direction of Alex McMahon and Benoit Landry, and with the expert eye of director Luc Sirois, a host of iconic Quebec talents will join the party: Alaclair Ensemble, Ariane Moffatt, Bleu Jeans Bleu, Claude Dubois, Gab Bouchard, Garou, Kwe! On a quelque chose à raconte, Mélissa Bédard, Marie Denise Pelletier, Marie-Pierre Arthur and Sarahmée .
They will be accompanied by dancers, acrobats, musicians, and choristers to offer a lively and festive show. In complete complicity, the artists will revisit the great hits that have marked the imagination of several generations. A unique and generous program, a large-scale show, and the frenzy of a party that brings people together year after year: all the ingredients are there for celebrations worthy of our collective pride!
The Saskatchewan Francophone Reception and Inclusion Service is hosting a big celebration for Saint Jean Baptiste Day on June 23rd from 5-9 pm at Ducharme School in Moose Jaw. This event is planned to bring the community together around culture, music and sharing.
Hagiography can also applied to a biography that treats ordinary people as if they were saints. An idealized or idolized life story often smacks of hagiography.
So, from the ancient hagiographies that provided information on John the Baptizer, we have important celebrations across Canada on the observance of his nativity, remembered by Christian and non-Christians alike, on Saint Jean Baptiste Day (June 24).
John would like to know if anyone has a sincere interest in a relevant word that he could possibly research for an upcoming column. If so, please send your requests to [email protected]. Words will be selected according to relevance and research criteria. We cannot confirm that all words will be used.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
