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Every year on January 17th, people bring their pets to be blessed on the Calle de Hortaleza in Madrid. Despite my slight reticence about Madrid’s fiesta scene in the second half of the podcast (click play podcast above), this was a fascinating event. Castizo is the word Marina used – very traditional in a Madrid kind of a way – below is some video from this morning to prove it:
There are plenty more photos from the Fiesta on the NFS Flickr Page.
UPDATE:
A Spanish friend of Marina’s said “This really does make Spain look a bit behind the times, imagine what the same video would look like in Black and White!” Well, it had to be done…
Hernandez Fiendish
17 Jan 07 at 11:51 pm
It’s not just a Madrid thing, it happens all over Spain
Mike_2
18 Jan 07 at 1:07 am
Behind the times? Keeping traditions, I think! My wife thinks its very cute and would like to know the name of the singer for the sound track you added. Muchas gracias!
Ben
18 Jan 07 at 6:57 pm
Hernandez – You are quite right.
Mike_2 – The music is Maria la portuguesa by Carlos Cano, a typical pasodoble.
Deborah
19 Jan 07 at 7:45 pm
Anything behind the times is wonderful.
ValenciaSon
21 Jan 07 at 10:19 pm
I wonder, what is the origin behind this pet blessing fiesta?
Ben
21 Jan 07 at 10:36 pm
There is some history here:
http://www.madridiario.es/2007/Enero/distrito/centro/6898/san-anton.html