Goat throwing (in Spanish: Lanzamiento de cabra desde campanario or Salto de la cabra) was a festival celebrated in the town of Manganeses de la Polvorosa, province of Zamora, Spain, on the fourth Sunday of January. The festival coincided with the commemoration of Saint Vincent the Martyr.
No one is sure when the tradition of throwing a goat from the belfry of the Church of Saint Vincent Martyr in the town of Manganeses de la Polvorosa began. It may have been the 19th century, but no one is sure. The festival coincided with the commemoration of Saint Vincent's saint's day. [1] Each year, local residents threw a live goat from the top of the church. Below, a crowd would then catch the falling goat with a canvas sheet. Some goats survived the fall and some did not. [2] If the goat survived it was revered and paraded through the small village, becoming a local legend for years to come. The event was organized by young men, who had just turned 18, and were now eligible for military service. [3]
The event is inspired by a legend that states that a priest's goat, whose milk fed the poor with its milk, fell out of the tower, but landed safely. Another story says that the goat made its way up the belfry to eat the food left for the doves, it lost its footing and fell> the goat landed on its hooves and disappeared into the woods. [4]
Spain has a number of festivals that involve some sort of animal cruelty, among them are burning the bull, donkey baiting, rape of the beasts (Galicia), garrotting the galgos, quail catapulting, Day of the Geese, running of the bulls, and bull fighting. [5]
Over the years, animal rights groups demanded an end to the practice of throwing the goat. [1] In 1992, the local governor banned the toss. The villagers used roped to lower the goat, but in 1993 they went back to dropping the goat from the church. [3] Once again, the practice was banned in 2000. A toy plush goat was thrown in the 2014 celebration. [6]
Rodeo is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States, western Canada, and northern Mexico. Today, it is a sporting event that involves horses and other livestock, designed to test the skill and speed of the cowboys and cowgirls. American-style professional rodeos generally comprise the following events: tie-down roping, team roping, steer wrestling, Steer roping, saddle bronc riding, bareback bronc riding, bull riding and barrel racing. The events are divided into two basic categories: the rough stock events and the timed events. Depending on sanctioning organization and region, other events such as breakaway roping, goat tying, and pole bending may also be a part of some rodeos. The "world's first public cowboy contest" was held on July 4, 1883, in Pecos, Texas, between cattle driver Trav Windham and roper Morg Livingston.
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Vincent of Saragossa, the Protomartyr of Spain, was a deacon of the Church of Saragossa. He is the patron saint of Lisbon and Valencia. His feast day is 22 January in the Catholic Church and Anglican Communion and the Orthodox Church, with an additional commemoration on 11 November in the Orthodox Church. He was born at Huesca and martyred under the Emperor Diocletian around the year 304.
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Oliete is a municipality located in the province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2017 census (INE), the municipality has a population of 357 inhabitants.
Manganeses de la Polvorosa is a municipality located in the province of Zamora, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2022 census (INE), the municipality has a population of 623 inhabitants.
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March 12 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - March 14
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Animal welfare and rights in Spain is about the treatment of and laws concerning non-human animals in Spain. Spain has moderate animal protections by international standards.
