THE DAILY WIRE · SPAIN · 2026-09-08
Spanish Villages Mark St. Anthony's Day With Fire, Faith, and Livestock
Spain's annual observance of St. Anthony continues to produce the two things this columnist respects most in a religious festival: horses on fire and pets in pews. Reports confirm that horses leapt through bonfires while household pets were brought to church for a blessing, a tradition apparently unbothered by the optics.
The rituals, held in villages across the country, are longstanding practice rather than a recent stunt, which this desk finds oddly reassuring. Nobody woke up and invented flaming-horse-jumping last Tuesday; this is heritage, filed and stamped.
Webster tracked down Nacho, a donkey stationed on the outskirts of one participating village, for his read on the proceedings as an animal who has watched this go down for several consecutive Anthony's Days.
His account suggests a certain professional jealousy toward the horses' billing, though he concedes the church portion has superior air conditioning.
The full report has further specifics on the ceremony's origins and execution, which this columnist recommends reading before attempting anything similar in a backyard. Spun and done.
“Every year the horses get the flaming glory lap and I get walked to Mass in a little scarf like a tourist. I'm not complaining, church has better snacks, but I've seen those bonfires up close and my professional advice is: horses have great depth perception, don't try this at your barbecue.” — Nacho, resident donkey
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