San Antón Festival

12/01/2010 17:44:56

The mountain-top village of Moclín in Andalusia pays homage to its patron, Saint Anthony of Egypt, with the San Antón Festival of religious worship. There are also lively parties featuring plenty of roasted pork.

San Antón is the protector of animals, pigs in particular, which would explain why years ago, Moclín celebrated its saint's day by sacrificing and feasting on one of these curly-tailed animals. Prior to the festival, the chosen swine would visit houses in the village and be suitably fattened up by locals.

Nowadays villagers buy pork chops and sausages instead. A barbecue in the village square follows, where locals eat, drink and dance the night away around a bonfire.

There is also a religious procession after morning Mass, which heads to the saint's hermitage near the village's Arabic castle.