Hundreds of Spaniards watched horses gallop through towering flames on Friday night, hours before pet owners in Madrid took their dogs and cats to church on Saturday to be blessed by a priest. The contrasting traditions take place every January to honour St. Anthony the Abbott, the patron saint of domestic animals.
Las Luminarias is a centuries-old tradition in the village of San Bartolome de Pinares, about 100 kilometres outside Madrid. Riders guide horses through bonfires in the street, an act believed to purify the animals for the coming year. Attendee Antonio Patricio, 62, said: 'In the old days it was held because it was believed that the branches and the smoke blessed the horses and donkeys, which were used for farming, as a form of healing to prevent them from getting sick.'
Animal rights groups have long criticised Las Luminarias, but locals say the horses are rarely injured. Riders take precautions, wrapping horses' tails in fire-resistant tape and braiding their manes. Some apply a glaze to prevent burning as the animals leap through flames.
The next morning, on St. Anthony's Day, pet owners in some churches across Spain bring their dogs and cats to be spritzed with holy water. In central Madrid, pet owners waited patiently outside St. Anthony's church for the blessing. Resident Rosa Gomez, holding her adopted dog Kia, said: 'I'm happy to be able to do it. She is a little dog that was given to us six years ago... and since then she has kept us great company.'
Locals say Las Luminarias started after a mysterious illness swept through the village's animals centuries ago, leading people to believe smoke could purify and heal horses. In Spain's emptying countryside, residents welcome that the tradition brings family and friends to the village for one night each year.
