St Anthony is the patron saint of animals and his feast day is celebrated on the 17 January all over Mallorca.
On the eve of the feast bonfires are lit in the town squares. You can take food down to the these fires and cook your dinner alongside your friends and neighbours (don’t forget to take tongs!). Its a great way to get to know the people that live in your town/ village. Increasingly the b0nfires are followed by the Demonis who will perform their manic show into the night.
On the day of St Anthony’s itself is the blessing of the animals. There will often be a parade of animals, with plenty of horses, which culminates in the local priest blessing the animals with holy water as they pass him. People take all sorts of animals to be blessed from tortoises to parrots, but mainly its the day that the local domestic dog population gets its yearly outing.
The Story of St Anthony
When he was young he sold all of his possessions, gave them up for charity and joined a group of anchorites. He then spent many years alone in the dessert. His life inspired many followers when he returned who wanted to join him and emulate his life style. Saint Anthony was therefore the founder of monachism. St. Anthony is the patron and protector of animals, on account of his intense regard for all animals during his lifetime.
