John the Baptist

===Association with summer solstice===
The Feast of Saint John closely coincides with the [[June solstice]], also referred to as Midsummer in the Northern Hemisphere. The Christian holy day is fixed at 24 June; but in most countries festivities are mostly held the night before, on Saint John's Eve. "In England, 'Saint John's Tide' is combined with a midsummer celebration. Instead of the date of the summer solstice, they chose June 24. This may be because of the Baptist's own words, 'He must increase, but I must decrease' (John 3:30). John was, of course, referring to Jesus. John's day comes at the time when the sun is beginning to decrease..."<ref name="McNamara2000">{{cite book|last=McNamara|first=Beth Branigan|title=Christian Beginnings|year=2000|publisher=Our Sunday Visitor|language=en|isbn=9780879730765}}</ref>