San Antonio del Monte



 

Yesterday was the biggest livestock fair on the island.

San Antonio del Monte used to be a village, but the villagers moved away. About the only thing that’s left is the church of St. Anthony and the feast day, with it’s massive fair. Apart from the animals, there’s a craft fair, and of course lots of stalls selling cheap toys, food and drink.

It’s a pretty enough little church, and for most of the day it’s crowded with people visiting the saint and touching his belt.

After the mass, the statues are taken out to the fairground in a procession, and the priest blesses the animals.

Normally, it’s baking hot at the fair, but as you can see, we were in the clouds yesterday. This wasn’t good for photography, but it was a lot more comfortable.

After the procession and blessing, they have live music and dancing.

Posted by sheila

Sheila came to La Palma with a six month contract and has stayed 24 years so far. She used to work as a software engineer at the observatory, but now she's a writer and Starlight guide.

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