Spain’s St Anthony Bonfire Festival – in pictures

Horses leapt through smoke and flames at the traditional Las Luminarias festival in Spain.

Held every year on 16 January in the small village of San Bartolome de Pinares, near Madrid, the celebration sees hundreds of local riders and their horses plunge through flames to honour Saint Anthony, the patron saint of animals.

The tradition is believed to be “more than 500 years old” and thought to date back to the time of the plague, said AFP. It is supposed to purify and protect animals for the coming year.

The festival sees revellers riding their horses through the narrow, cobbled streets of the ancient village before plunging through raging bonfires and billowing smoke, made all the more pronounced by “large wet brooms that locals traditionally throw onto the fires”, said Yahoo.

After the horses have been purified, festival-goers take to the streets to drink and dance – and even take advantage of the remaining embers of the fires to cook dinner.

The festival has come under fire from animal rights groups over the years, but organisers say precautions are taken by riders to ensure their animals are not harmed by the flames.

Here are some of the best pictures from this year’s festival.