Saint Joh the Baptist is the Patron Saint of Puerto Rico.  Every June in Puerto Rico, St. John the Baptist feast is a great celebration. The annual festival of St. John the Baptist (La Noche de San Juan) is similar to our Independence Day or Labor Day celebrations .

The celebration begins on the night of June 23, when people jump backwards into the ocean at the stroke of midnight. St. John was born on June 24. Puerto Ricans have taken this holiday very seriously, since Ponce de Leon chose St. John the Baptist as the patron saint of the island. The island was first named San Juan, but later the name was transferred to the capital city and the island was named Puerto Rico, which means "Rich Port."

Here in the Archdioces of New York the Feast of Saint Joh the Baptist is celebrated in on June 24 with a mass, as well as a fair where puerto Rican culture is highlited through food, music, and traditional Puerto Rican dancing.