Paul Hanna/Reuters
Don't try this at home.
The
• The Feast of St. Anthony, patron saint of animals, is celebrated by riding horses through flames in San Bartolome de Pinares, Spain.
• Smoke was thought to purify animals and villages from disease, a tradition known as Luminarias.
• People also bring their pets to church, where a priest blesses them.
• The ritual has garnered criticism from animal rights activists.
About 62 miles northwest of Madrid, in the village of San Bartolome de Pinares, Spain, the Feast of St. Anthony comes pretty close to a barbecue.
In a tradition known as Luminarias, villagers ride horses through enormous walls of fire, harkening back to a time when smoke was thought to purify animals and villages from disease.
Despite criticism from animal rights activists (though locals say there haven't been any injuries), the festival remains a hot topic beyond the 600-person village.