The three early Tombs, we play at home
The first Three Tombs of the season begin among other places in Valleys, we celebrated them yesterday January 12th. In Valls this is a deeply rooted tradition and the Society of Sant Antoni de Valls has one of the collections of carts most important that are preserved in Catalonia. On the other hand, they are one of the three most exciting Tombs thanks to the City Hall tombs, where the roads and roads show their dexterity by making the straits. tombs in the Plaça del Blat while the audience bursts into applause when they get it.
The January 17th the festival of Sant Antoni Abad is celebrated, the protector of pets and especially those with round feet, very important for day-to-day work in past centuries. The Saint was born in the 3rd century in Egypt and is also known as Saint Anthony the Great or Anthony of Egypt. He was an anchorite monk or hermit who devoted his life to contemplation and penance retired in solitary places to foster contact with God. According to legend St. Anthony was one animal lover, whenever he found one he would cure and take care of it, and he did the same with a piglet that in gratitude for the feat always accompanied him during his life. For this reason he is depicted with a pig on his feet.
Tradition and devotion in Sant Antoni
Sant Antoni has traditionally been the patron saint of animals and a very celebrated festival in Catalan countries. In many places the Three Tombs of Sant Antoni, a very old ritual adapted to Christianity that consists of taking three rounds around the village church to finally end the blessing of the animals and augur a good year without illness or accident. Also called "Passed", "Blessed" or "Passing" throughout Catalonia. Before the arrival of Christianity, everyone went around three times around a bonfire made of green branches, still in some towns in the Valencian Country they still follow this tradition. Elsewhere in Falset, thejacketed, in the Balearic Islands bonfires are lit in various parts of the town and the demons and the botargues, which according to legend tormented the Saint when he was retired in a cave, are the protagonists of the party.
A Mediterranean tradition
In many Mediterranean villages, walking around sacred places or a religious temple was one of them deeply rooted tradition. The Romans were already circling around the sacred temples to invoke the protection of the Gods. Even now Muslims also go around the times 7 times Ka’ba revered by Islam before the time of Muhammad.
They also maintain a variant of this tradition in the Basque Country. Around the Sanctuary of Urkiola, on top of a hill in the city of Abadiano, it is traditional to ‘walk’ around this Christian temple dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua and Saint Anthony the Abbot to find a partner.
The festival of the Three Tombs, then, is the evolution of a tradition of the oldest peoples of the Mediterranean. A pre-Christian tradition that, like so many others, Christianity adopted and adapted to its beliefs.
The Three Tombs The oldest in Catalonia are those in Igualada that have been celebrated uninterruptedly since the year 1822. But apart from the Tres Tombs de Valls, those in Vilanova that are held on Friday 17 January are among the most important for the quality and quantity of horses, carts and carriages that parade through its streets. Rural Experiences we will participate with the Chartreuse, the Rooster and the Quintin we love power follow traditions and keep alive the history and passion for round-footed animals.
