Costa Blanca Homeowners – January Blessing the Animals

Those who have recently bought a home in the Costa Blanca may have just experienced their first Christmas in Spain. Following the long Christmas celebrations culminating in the arrival of the Three Kings on 5th January and Epiphany on 6th you might thing that the rest of the month will be fairly quiet. The children will have received all their gifts and the family can get the house back to normal. Not so fast!!! Next it’s the animals turn to have a party so if you are a pet owner make sure you join in and the children will love it too!!!

St Anthony the Abbot

The Costa Blanca will now be looking forward to celebrating this beloved saint who is the patron saint of all animals. Legend tells that St Anthony was travelling when a sow laid a sick pig at his feet. The Saint healed the pig with the Sign of the Cross and they became lifelong companions. Anthony was a Egyptian hermit during the fourth century who roamed the desert fasting and praying with just animals for company. In many agricultural, parts of Europe he is remembered on his Feast Day on the 17th January. Those who live in the Costa Blanca will enjoy participating and witnessing this rather lovely Fiesta in his honour.

Original Agricultural Celebrations of San Antonio

Many towns along the Spanish coast including the Costa Blanca begun celebrating festivals which were relevant to their work in the fields with pack animals including the Fiesta de San Antonio which in some places may also be known as Tres Tombs or Tonis. The tradition was to parade animals with their carts around the town or village three times. 

Modern San Antonio Celebrations in the Costa Blanca

Since farms have become more mechanically tended the tradition has been maintained to celebrate and bless both working and domestic animals. Many towns will build a bonfire made of green branches and which is burned after the animals have been walked around it three times, if the town has a church named after San Antonio the bonfire will be in the church square but, if not it will there will be an image of the saint in the area where the ritual is being performed. Following this the animals are all blessed by the local priest. The actual feast day is on 17th January but, the blessing may occur the weekend before or after this date so those living in the Costa Blanca should check their towns local agenda to avoid missing it. It is truly a wonderful experience to watch the animals large and small being walked through the streets and then to meet with the priest for their blessing and everyone is welcome to join in and bring their furry or feathered friend along to participate. Obviously you need to ensure that your animal is property vacinated, secure and well-behaved around other creatures and humans if you do want to have them blessed. Even without animals it is a lovely celebration to watch and children will really enjoy this iconic festival.

Javea continues January Celebrations

Following hot on the heals and sometimes coinciding with the blessing of the animals, those living in Javea can join in with the festivities in honour of the towns patron saint San Sebastian. The origin of the fesitival is based on the legend that centuries agon this saint liberated those who lived in Javea from the epidemic of the Black Plague although others claim that he was the stonecutter who gave the town is artisan tradition of masonary work. This holiday takes place on January 20th and used to be limjted to a celebratory mass and firew works, however it now includes street parades, children’s performances, sports activities and controversially bull running. The parade is accompanied by music from a small drum called a tabalet and a reed instrument known as a dulzaina and moves through the streets of the old town visiting parts of it that are dedicated to San Sebastian.

Conclusion

You will begin to understand when you move to the Costa Blanca that there is never an excuse for the an anti-climax after Christmas or the Winter Blues because in this Mediterranean paradise the Spanish will always find something to celebrate.