US EditionHorses leap through flames and pets go to church in Spanish animal rituals honoring St. Anthony
- On Saturday, hundreds watched horses gallop through towering street bonfires in San Bartolomé de Pinares while pet owners in Madrid took dogs and cats to be blessed with holy water.
- Long ago, villagers adopted fire rituals after animal illness, and local residents say Las Luminarias began after a mysterious livestock illness, with January events honouring St Anthony the Abbot in San Bartolomé de Pinares.
- Riders wrap horses' tails in fire-resistant tape and braid manes before the run, while organisers stack branches on Friday night to light bonfires the horses leap through.
- Animal rights groups have long criticised Las Luminarias, but locals say horses are rarely injured, and the event draws visitors to Spain’s emptying countryside for one night each year.
- On Sunday, Fr rector Michael Galea will bless horses before a Victory Band procession in Xag'ra, Gozo, following the statue's 3pm departure and a 4.30pm blessing by Bishop George Bugeja OFM.
29 Articles
29 Articles
Every 17th January, San Antón fills the streets with pets and gestures of affection, but this image contrasts with a worrying reality: animal abandonment in Spain, with hundreds of thousands of dogs and cats rescued each year and a growing impact on urban biodiversity. Animal abandonment in Spain, a structural crisis that persists throughout the year While San Antón celebrates love for animals, animal abandonment in Spain continues to grow and g…
Horses Leap through Flames and Pets Go to Church in Spanish Animal ...
Every year pets of all kinds, dogs and cats... but also birds and even snakes and snails. They all wait, with their owners, for the priests of the parish to sprinkle them with a few drops of holy water.
Washington Top News
Horses leap through flames and pets go to church in Spanish animal rituals honoring St. Anthony
SAN BARTOLOME DE PINARES, Spain (AP) — Hundreds of Spaniards watched horses gallop through towering flames, hours before pet owners in Madrid on Saturday took their dogs and cats to church to be blessed with holy water. The contrasting Spanish traditions take place every January to honor St. Anthony the Abbott, the patron saint of domestic animals. And despite criticism from animal rights groups, the horse-and-fire spectacle draws loyal crowds e…
Associated Press News
Horses leap through flames and pets go to church in Spanish animal rituals honoring St Anthony
Hundreds of people in Spain have watched horses gallop through flames as part of the centuries-old tradition called Las Luminarias.
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