LateRooms.com - Fire-breathing pig 'adds sparks' to St Anthony's Day celebrations

LateRooms.com can announce that Saint's days in the UK may not be considered to be a huge cause for celebration and they can often pass many people by unnoticed.

However, in Spain it seems as though they are an excuse for a fiesta and there is one in particular that people staying in Barcelona hotels may want to join in with during their time in the city.

Festa dels Tres Tombs celebrates St Anthony's day and takes place every year on January 17th.

In typical Spanish style, the celebration is full of music, dancing and parades and is sure to be a visual feast for anyone who decides to join in.

As St Anthony is the patron saint of animals, the event focuses on this and is it customary for people to bring their pets to his church to be blessed.

Slightly more unusually, there is also a symbolic fire-breathing pig to add some sparks to proceedings, as this is the form that the devil took when he tried to tempt St Anthony, Time Out Barcelona reports.

The 'tres tombs' part of the festival's title comes from the horsemen that ride in a formal procession around three circuits from Ronda Sant Antoni, through Placa Catalunya, along La Rambla and down C/Nou de la Rambla, the news provider continues.

Another popular procession in Barcelona is that of the three kings, which takes place on January 5th and is a traditional Christmas event.

To make the most of the Festa dels Tres Tombs – you should consider booking your hotels Barcelona to avoid disappointment.