San Antón

Every year on January 17th, here in La Mancha small villages continue to celebrate "El Día de San Antón" in honor of Saint Anthony the Abbot.  Apparently, San Antón was a hermit from Egypt who became one of the earliest monks.  He was said to love animals, and in La Mancha and in Madrid it is still popular to take pets and farm animals to church to be blessed (outside, of course!).

Here in my village, no blessings are offered in the local parish church, but on the eve of San Antón people light bonfires to later jump over the coals (which is done on San Juan in many other parts of Spain).

It's olive harvest time, and the thin branches that fall off the trees burn hot and fast.

 

  

My 13-year-old is already taller than his father...

  

Happy San Antón!