San Sebastian blessing of goats, sheep and horses in the sea in La Caleta this Sunday and Monda

[Janet]

Here's a chance for anyone who wants to see a bit of Canarian tradition without having to leave the beach! The Fiesta of San Sebastian in La Caleta is held on Sunday 19 and Monday 20 January, and involves horsemen riding into the sea, and pastoral farmers dragging their goats and sheep into the water, for the animals to be blessed.

The event's draw makes it almost more a spectacular tourist event than a religious one, but despite the tens of thousands of people who turn up to watch it,  at its core is the celebration of a fiesta to San Sebastian, the saint who can ward off plagues, and so keep animals, and humans, healthy throughout the coming year.

Details of the events are HERE, but the main ones are a procession and fireworks followed by music on Sunday night from  7pm, and the blessing of the animals on Monday around midday after a mass in the church. Get there early ... and just follow the crowds! JA