Las Luminarias - an ancient ritual to be preserved, or cruelty to horses?

kiligirl (66)in #ritual • 7 years ago

Every year around this time, a surprisingly little-known ritual takes place in the small Spanish town of San Bartolome de Pinares - a ritual which, depending on your perspective, is either highly risky to the animals involved, or is one which protects them from harm for the coming year.

I learned of it from watching CNN International yesterday, and frankly, my first reaction was "Rather shoot the horse than subject it to something this barbaric".

(Photo by Jasper Juinen/Getty Images) Photograph: Jasper Juinen/Getty ImagesImage source

The Ritual of Las Luminarias

This 500 or so year old ritual is practiced by the horse lovers of the town. Upfront, let me say that the objective of the ritual is supposedly to purify and protect each horse involved. The residents build bonfires in the streets, then riders take turns riding their horses - many of them prized animals - through the fires. Apparently the thinking of smoke purifying a beast dates back to the (highly ineffective) ritual of using smoke to protect communities from the plague, but we know the solution there was to get rid of the rats and improve hygiene.

According to a rider interviewed in the CNN report, the horses are not harmed because their manes and tails are covered (another article mentioned that the horses' tails are braided, then covered, so they don't catch fire), and the animals sweat as they go through the flames, so they're wet and don't burn. Vets examine the horses afterwards and confirm they are not physically harmed. Where's my sarcasm emoji when I need it?