To understand the connection to these Christian men both named John with Freemasonry we must first examine the origins of our Order.  Freemasonry comes to civilization out of North Africa and the Egyptian Pyramid Temple Universities from places like Luxor or Thebes.  The ancient teachings of Imhotep, “the first builder”, was passed onto the operative stone Masons of Europe such as in Greece and Rome.  The order is said to have been passed on to King Solomon and his Grand Artificer when they completed the temple in Jerusalem in 950 BC. All Masonic Lodges are said to be dedicated in ancient times to King Solomon and that would later represent Saint John the Baptist and the Evangelist in modern times.  In 926 AD another legend tells of a story of King Edwin of York and how he became the Patron of Masonry in England when he calls together a congregation of Masons at York, England.  Freemasonry was in modern times connected to the York Rite because of  926 AD and connected to Saint Johns Lodges of Jerusalem in Modern times because of a reference in the first Masonic document known as the Gothic Constitutions of 1390 AD.  According to the Gothic Legends, over 1000 years before there was a Saint John or Jesus the first Lodges were said to have originated from Saint John Lodges in Jerusalem and dedicated to John the Baptist.  In 1430 AD, the Fraternity of Saint John existed in Cologne as a Carpenters’ guild.  This observance and the Day of November 4^th and the Four Crowned Martyrs is said to have been the first ceremonies of the Speculative Craft brought over from the Operative trade.

 Who was this Saint John the Baptist?  He was the forerunner or precursor of Christ and the one who Baptized Jesus in the River Jordan.  He was thought to be the cousin of Jesus Christ and his purpose was to “prepare the way of the Lord, and make the paths straight.”  He was put to death by King Herod for his allegiance to Christ Jesus.  He was called the seeker of light.  He is presented as the one chosen by God to announce the coming of the messiah.  He was the son of Zechariah, a priest of the division of Abijah, a group that served the temple in Jerusalem.  His mother, Elizabeth was one of the daughters of Aaron.  Muslims even regard John as a prophet.  He was thought of as a harbinger for Christ who started his ministry around age 27.   Interestingly he was said to have been born 6 months before Jesus and was put to death 6 months before him.  There is also speculation that he was a member of the sect or brotherhood the Essenes.  Tradition tells us that the Grand Lodge of England was revived on the Day of Saint John the Baptist in 1717 AD where the Masons would have had an annual feast. 

Who then was Saint John the Evangelist?  He was often referred to as mystical and in some accounts was known as Saint John the Mystic.  He was also called the Apostle of charity. Some scholars assert that Saint John the Evangelist was an amalgam of several Saints Johns namely the New Testament Johns like: John the Epistle and John the Divine of Patmos.  He was often symbolized as the eagle.  Several legends surround the Life of this Apostle of Christ.  He was said to have raised Drusiana from the dead, the destruction of the temple of Diana, the raising to life of Satheus, and surviving an assassination attempt after being immersed in boiling oil.  He was said to have been poisoned unsuccessfully and thus is seen in Christian art to symbolize the chalice. He is believed to have died circa 99AD to 101 AD.     As John the Divine he was the son of Zebedee and his mother was Salome.  His brother may have been Saint James.  Both he and Saint James were said to have followed John the Baptist when he preached repentance in the wilderness. The Evangelist was thought to have written Four Gospels in scripture as well as three Epistles, and the Apocalypse (Book of Revelation).   The festival days of June 24^th was designated as the festival of John the Baptist and December 27^th was chosen for John the Evangelist.  The first documented Masonic ceremony connected with Saint John the Baptist was in 1561 on Christmas in England.   The first documented Masonic ceremony for Saint John the Evangelist Day was Edinborough in 1599.

 The question that can be asked is why June 24^th or December 27^th for these two Festivals?  Well Freemasonry is supported by the Seven Liberal Arts and Sciences that our colleges and educational systems were founded upon.  The science of Astronomy was very important to the ancient peoples and on the 21^st of June marked the annual Summer Solstice.  The word ‘solstice’ means “sol for the sun” and “sisteres for “to stand still” shows us that the Sun stops or is at rest for a period of 2 or 3 days. This also marks the longest day of the year where the Sun is in its glory on June 24^th or “midsummer” as it can be seen in the Tropic of Cancer.   Here the Sun leaves to return to the Southern hemisphere.   This was thought of by ancient Masons to symbolize the Sun being exalted to the Summit of the zodiacal arch or keystone and attains its greatest power and glory.  Six months later and ancient astronomers observed the arrival of the Sun at the winter solstice in December on the shortest day of the year. Here the Sun leaves to return to the northern hemisphere and this symbolized the commencement of its return northward toward the vernal equinox and was also celebrated and considered to be the newborn Sun.  Now the  noon Sun appears to be the farthest South from the northern hemisphere.  There is also less actual sunlight on this day than any other.  On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day  the 25^th, the Sun is said to be at rest for 2 or 3 days and appears to be back in motion on the 27^th.   This moment represents the birth of the celestial Sun and this new child is emerging from the constellation where it is nourished by the goat and sits in the Tropic of Capricorn (the goat).   

These festivals since time memorial were Astronomical and observed hundreds of years before Christ and marked the summer and winter solstices.   Since the sixteenth century, the church and the Masonic Lodge have celebrated Saint John the Baptist Day on June 24^th, and before that it was strictly observed solely as an astronomical observance.  The Patron Saints are symbolized and illustrated to represent two parallel lines touching a circle with a point in the center of the circle.  The Two parallel lines represent the two Saints Johns and the point within the circle is symbolic of the Sun.   

In modern times Freemasons in a given area congregate and fellowship usually in a church and have a sermon by a Pastor or member of clergy.  The Day marks a time for Masons and Sisters of the Eastern Star Order to celebrate annually and feel connected to the Masons of ancient times.  It is celebrated in England along with the addition of Saint George’s Day on April 23^rd, and in France as well along with Saint Andrew’s Day on November 30^th.  During the time of our Founder Prince Hall, it was documented that when he and his 14 companions formed African Lodge #1 as the first Masonic Lodge for men of African American descent, they were restricted in that they could only bury their dead and observe Saint John’s Day.   In 1782, Prince Hall scolded a Boston Newspaper journalist for misrepresenting the procession of his Masons during Saint John’s Day in December by writing a letter,  “Sir, observing a sketch in the paper, painted by Mess Draper and Folsom, relative to the celebration of     the feast of St. John he Evangelist by the African Lodge, the Master of the said lodge being possessed of a charitable disposition to all mankind, does therefore hope the publisher of the said sketch meant to give a candid description of the procession, etc.  Therefore with due submission to the public, our title is not St. Black’s Lodge; neither do we aspire after high titles.  But our only desire is that the Great architect of the Universe would diffuse in our hearts the true spirit of Masonry, which is to love God and universal love to all mankind.”