St. John the Baptist is the only saint whose birth day is celebrated on June 24th, and also that of death on August 29th. He shares this privilege with Mary the mother of Jesus because, according to tradition, both were freed from original sin in the womb.

The story of St. John the Baptist is well known by all. Descended from a priestly caste, he spent many years as a hermit in the desert, eating wild honey and locusts. On 29 AD he is found on the Jordan River to preach baptism for the forgiveness of sins. During his preaching John lashed out at King Herod, considering them sinners. His fate was precisely marked by having set himself against Herod who had him arrested and immediately afterwards beheaded.

His disciples, hearing of what had happened, took his body and buried it. His burial immediately became a place of pilgrimage and, it is said, that numerous healings took place in that place, especially of the possessed.

Many apocryphal texts, as well as Muslim books, including the Koran, speak of him; Andrew and John the apostles broke away from his disciples to follow Jesus. At first the cult of him spread throughout the known world of that time, both in the East and in the West and from Palestine innumerable churches and baptisteries dedicated to him were erected.

Such is the consideration that the Church reserves for him, that he is the only saint after Mary to be remembered in the liturgy, as well as on the day of his death (29 August), also on the day of his earthly birth (24 June); but the latter date is the most used for his veneration, by the countless churches, dioceses, cities and towns around the world, which keep him as their patron saint (just to name a few, he is the patron saint of cities like Turin, Florence, Imperia, Ragusa, etc.). This testifies to the great interest that this austere prophet has aroused in all ages, so high in the same consideration of Christ as to be defined by him as "the greatest among those born of women".

The feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist since the time of s. Augustine (354-430), was celebrated on June 24, for this date the criterion was used, since the birth of Jesus was fixed on December 25, that of John had to be celebrated six months earlier, according to what the archangel Gabriel announced to Mary .

The devotional, folkloristic, traditional celebrations are widespread everywhere, linked to his veneration; like so many popular proverbs they are meteorologically linked to the date of his feast.

John the Baptist is the most represented saint in art of all centuries; it cannot be said, altarpiece or picture of a group of saints, alone or around the throne of the Virgin Mary, that this saint is not present, usually dressed in an animal skin and holding a stick ending in the shape of a cross.

Not to mention the many paintings by the greatest artists such as Raphael, Leonardo, etc. depicting him as a child, playing with little Jesus, always covered with sheep skin and affectionately called "San Giovannino".

Furthermore, among the male names, but also used in female derivations (Giovanna, Gianna) it is the most widespread in the world, translated into various languages; and many other saints, blessed, venerable of the Church, originally bore her name; as indeed the almost contemporary s. John the Evangelist and apostle, because the name John, at his time was already known and in Hebrew Iehóhanan, meant: "God is propitious".

This testifies to the great devotion and popularity of this man, who condensed in himself many great identifying characters of his holiness, as a relative of Jesus, forerunner of Christ, last of the great prophets of Israel, first witness-apostle of Jesus, baptizer of Christ, hermit, preacher and puller of crowds, tutor of a Baptism for the forgiveness of sins, martyr for the defense of the Jewish law.