St. James Day

July 25th is a big day in the Camino de Santiago world. That is also known as St. James Day. This is the day we honour St. James / Santiago. Here is a little information about James and his connection with the Camino.

Santiago in 12th century church at Rabanal del Camino

James and his brother John were sons of Zebedee, a fisherman. When Jesus told them to come with him and become fishers of men, they did so, becoming two of the first apostles of Jesus. They earned the nickname Sons of Thunder, apparently due to their fiery temperaments.

After the crucifixion, James went to Spain, where he preached the gospel of Jesus to the people of the Iberian peninsula. He had mixed success at the time, though now he is the patron saint of Spain, and St. James Day is a holiday in Galicia, Spain.

After his time in Spain, James was martyred, probably beheaded on July 25, 44 AD. Miraculously, his body was transported to Spain in a stone boat, where his remains were hidden for over 800 years.

Then, in the 9th century, a hermit named Pelayo discovered human remains which were verified by the local Catholic bishop to be those of St. James. A church was erected at the site, and the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage route was born.

Pilgrims have been walking to Compostela ever since, though popularity has waxed and waned. Currently this is a very popular pilgrim route, attracting over half a million pilgrims annually. Pilgrims walk on many routes; all leading to Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain, where the crypt below the cathedral holds the remains of the saint.

The crypt of St. James in Santiago de Compostela

I have an earlier blog post about St. James, where he has a conversation with Buddha and Charles Haanel. You might find that entertaining.

People walk the Camino for many reasons: religious, spiritual, athletic, touristic, and more. While walking, many pilgrims connect with others, forming what is known as Camino families. In my book, Quest for the Enlightened Pilgrim, Lucy starts out too shy to connect, but eventually she does form that family.

I consider my local Edmonton chapter of the Canadian Company of Pilgrims to be my Camino family. We meet up every Saturday for a walk and visit. At least three times a year we have a 'family reunion' / gathering.

Today our gathering was to celebrate St. James Day. We walked, shared a communal meal, and spoke of our Camino memories, hopes and dreams.

By the way, St. James is also known as Santiago, Sao Tiago, St Jacques, St. Jacob, or St. Jakob.

You can read more about St. James on Wikipedia.