The statue of Saint John of Nepomuk in the Museum of Baja
The ceremony of "Johnny Floating"
The ceremony of "Johnny floating" is held on the Eve of Saint John’s nameday, 15 May.
Saint John os Nepomuk, the parton saint of those living by water, was a priest who confessed the princess in Bohemia. Havig had no succes with getting the secret of the confession out of John, on May 16, 1383,Venczel, the king of Bohemia had him tortured and then ordered his men to trus John and push him into the River Moldva with his mouth ripped up. People of Prague are said to have seen a miracle on the night of the hideous event - shining stars were floating about in the water of the river.
The statue of Saint John of Nepomuk in the Museum of
Baja
People living by water returned John as their patron saint and has kept his memory alive by various proceedings in guilds. The ceremony of "Johnny Floating" is one among them and while celebrating it, people are floating burning pitch-wreaths to remind us of the stars having floated about on the night of the event.
The everyday life of Baja has always been attached to the waters around here, just think about fishermen, watermen, watermillers and their work. So, it was not a matter of chance at all if the worship of Saint John of Nepomuk has developed in the town.
The badge of the Guild of Watermillers in Baja
Watermillers in Baja settled down by the River Danube, in the area called Saint John. In the very centre of this tiny area is Saint John Chapel built in 1875.
The celebration of "Johnny Floating" is related with the uptown of Saint John and Saint John Chapel. It was a kind of water procession. Everybody was well-prepared for the revels after ceremony. Tents and broached barrels were waiting for people nearby. The fishermen saw to it that medium sized fish would be in the required amount. The famous fish-soup was made by the most experimenced fishermen and they stand the mayor, the city leaders and sometimes the clergyman a treat.
The last ceremony was in the year of 1941.
We are indebted to the people living in "Saint John district " for having restored the tradition 10 years ago. After a mass, a procession starts its way from the chapel to the River Sugovica where the statue of Saint John with flowers on it is put on the deck burning pitch-wreath on the River. The ship is encircled by ding hies, barges, fadboats, canoes and kayaks with torches and wichs on board. The citizens follow them on the bank to Sugovica Bridge in the town centre where out of the respect for Saint John they held folk music and dance show and barrel-broaching.