‘Las Luminarias de San Antón’ Festival, San Bartolomé de Pinares

• Castilla y León
• Traditional
• January

‘Las Luminarias de San Antón‘ is a religious celebration held in San Bartolomé de Pinares, Avila province, in honour of Saint Anthony, the patron saint of animals.

On 16 January, the eve of the saint’s day, horse riders jump through bonfires as part of the festival.

It is an old tradition which seems to go back to a time when animals began falling ill without any apparent reason. In olden times a big variety of animals were parading close to the bonfires, but nowadays, only equines, mainly horses, take place in the procession of ‘Las Luminarias de San Antón’