The Luminarias Festival in Spain is a celebration of the patron saint of animals where Spaniards ride their horses through bonfires. It is religious celebration that takes place every year on the eve of Saint Anthony's Day in the village of San Bartolomé de Pinares.
According to tradition, people ride their horses through fire to purify the animals, insisting that animals are never hurt, instead they are protected for the coming year by the smoke and flames.
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am contacting you regarding the annual tradition that takes place in San Bartolomé de Pinares, where villagers ride horses, donkeys and mules through bonfires as part of the Luminarias celebration.
This cruel tradition, that has already been condemned by several equine welfare experts and animal welfare groups, causes the animals unnecessary stress and poses a danger to the animals and to the participants. There has been a tacit agreement under which the riders have agreed not to leap over the flames, but to pass around the burning logs. Even under such conditions, the event will undoubtedly cause a tremendous stress and suffering to the animals, due to their great natural fear of fire. It is a common occurrence that the rider has been thrown off the animal, due to the animal's distress of being engulfed in 8 ft of flames. It is well possible that the rider may, under such circumstances, be thrown directly into the flames. Many horsemen do not follow this agreement and instead leap through the flames, which can easily lead to severe burns or worse.
Tradition is no excuse for animal cruelty. Please put an end to this practice and find an alternative way to celebrate the patron saint of animals, specifically a way that is based on compassion and respect for all living beings, and that does not endanger the lives or welfare of the participants.
Sincerely,
[Name]
CONTACT
Mayor of San Bartolomé:
VICTOR GÓMEZ MARTÍN
DIRECCIÓN ADDRESS
C/LA VIRGEN, Nº 1 C / LA VIRGEN, No. 1
CP: 05267. CP: 05267.
SAN BARTOLOME DE PINARES.
Telephone / Email
920 270 001 270 920 001
sbartolomepinares@diputacionavila.es
http://www.diputacionavila.es/diputacion/correos.php
E-mail block (paste into BCC):
presidencia@diputacionavila.es, secretaria@diputacionavila.es, turismo@diputacionavila.es, sbartolomepinares@diputacionavila.es
