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2010-01-19
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St. Anthony’s Feast
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St. Anthony’s Feast

"a man riding a horse in fire"

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Comments for: St. Anthony’s Feast
fossil_digger Report This Comment
Date: January 19, 2010 06:19PM

Every year on January 17,the people of San Bartolome de Pinares celebrate St. Anthony by riding their horses, donkeys and mules through piles of burning tree branches.

The unique tradition of leaping over and through flames dates back 500 years, but the men and women of San Bartolome de Pinares still celebrate it religiously. They gather all the branches they find in the days leading up to the festivities, and when dusk falls on the eve of Saint Anthony’s, they light them ablaze. Riders lead their mounts through the burning piles of the village, accompanied by sounds of drums and Spanish bagpipes.

Jumping through the flames is said to bring the animals the protection of St. Anthony Abad, acknowledged as the patron of domestic animals, ever since the Middle-Ages. Locals believe the fire purifies their animals and protects them against illnesses, all year long.

Animal rights activists don’t buy the whole purification deal, but in a country like Spain, where traditions like bullfighting, Shearing of the Beasts or Day of the Geese, they don’t have too many hopes of putting an end to it. Plus, the owners say their animals remain unharmed…
FrostedApe Report This Comment
Date: January 21, 2010 06:12AM

Spanish bagpipes? Hmm, learn something every day.
Mrkim Report This Comment
Date: January 21, 2010 03:57PM

A Spanish flamenco with bag pipe accompaniment is a pretty trippy thought. Sounds like somethin you'd come across in a David Lynch moovie smiling bouncing smiley

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FrostedApe Report This Comment
Date: January 22, 2010 05:32AM

I can see how this could devolve into a barbeque pretty easily.
fossil_digger Report This Comment
Date: January 26, 2010 07:13PM

mas