Goat throwing
Appearance
Celebrated on the fourth Sunday of January, Goat throwing (in Spanish: Lanzamiento de cabra desde campanario or Salto de la cabra) was a festival in Manganeses de la Polvorosa, province of Zamora, Spain where a group of young men threw a live goat from the top of a church based on local legend. A crowd below would then catch the falling goat with a canvas sheet. In 2004 it was banned against animal rights and since then, toy goats have been used. Animal rights groups demanded the end of this festival several times,[1][2] until the practice was banned in 2000. The legend states that a goat, which miraculously fed the poor with its milk, fell out of the tower, but landed safely.[1] A toy plush goat was thrown in the 2014 celebration.[3]
References
- ^ Goat Throwing in Spain ( Archived October 7, 2011, at WebCite)
- ^ "Spanish ceremony gets Lorelay's goat", BBC News, January 25, 1998
- ^ Y una cabra saltó desde el campanario en Manganeses de la Polvorosa in benavente.es