#1 Click this link to see News Photos page --> 01/18/2012 #3

San Bartolome de Pinares, a small village northwest of Madrid, celebrates the festival of Saint Anthony, the patron saint of animals. Every year on January 16th, the village kicks off the festival with Las Luminarias, a centuries old tradition where villagers ride their horses through fires set in the streets. The belief is that the smoke purifies the animals as the horses jump through the flames.

Luminarias #Luminarias MjL

#2 Click this link to see News Photos page --> 01/18/2014 #3

A man rides a horse through a bonfire as part of a ritual in honor of Saint Anthony, the patron saint of animals, in San Bartolome de Pinares, Spain on Thursday. On the eve of Saint Anthony’s Day, hundreds ride their horses through the narrow cobblestone streets of the small village of San Bartolome during the “Luminarias”, a tradition that dates back 500 years and is meant to purify the animals with the smoke of the bonfires and protect them for the year to come.

Luminarias #Luminarias MjL

#3 Click this link to see News Photos page --> 01/18/2015 #2

A man rides his horse through flames during the ‘Luminarias’ annual religious celebration, on the night before Saint Anthony’s, patron of animals, in the village of San Bartolome de los Pinares, Spain, Friday. According to tradition that dates back 500 years, people ride their horses through the narrow cobblestone streets of this small village to purify the animals with the smoke of the bonfires.

Luminarias #Luminarias MjL

#4 Click this link to see News Photos page --> 01/19/2022 #1

A rider goes through flames during the annual “Luminarias” celebration on the eve of Saint Anthony’s day, Spain’s patron saint of animals, in the village of San Bartolome de Pinares, northwest of Madrid, Spain.

Luminarias #Luminarias MjL

#5 Click this link to see News Photos page --> 01/20/2025 #1

A man rides a horse through flames during the annual “Luminarias” celebration on the eve of Saint Anthony’s day, Spain’s patron saint of animals, in the village of San Bartolome de Pinares, Spain.

What is it with Spain and animal cruelty? This and bull fights. Luminarias #Luminarias MjL