page_title: Blessing of animals
section_title: Culturalisation
hierarchical_section_title: Blessing of animals / Culturalisation
caption_attribution_description: Español: Bendición de carros, caballos, y vehículos en frente de la iglesia San Pedro de Santa Bárbara de Heredia, Costa Rica, 2013English: Blessing of cars, horses, and vehicles in fronte of the church of San Pedro de Santa Bárbara de Heredia, Costa Rica, 2013
context_page_description: Blessing of animals can be either of the animal or of the human-animal relationship, and can apply to pets and other companion animals, or to agricultural animals and working and other animals which humans depend on or interact with.
  Blessing of animals, or of the slaughtering process, before slaughter, is a key element of some religions.
  Ceremonial blessing of companion animals occurs throughout the world, for example, Australia, Canada, Scotland, Spain, and the United States.
  Blessing of animals is a religious activity, and occurs broadly across most religions in some form, including, for example, across Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Shintoism, Unitarian Universalism, amongst others.
  Secular respect for animals is also strong, for example, World Animal Day, an international day of action for animal rights and welfare celebrated annually, but is still held on 4 October, the feast day of Francis of Assisi, a Christian patron saint of animals.
context_section_description: Some towns and cities have the blessing of animals as a cultural event, for example:
  San Juan del Río, on January 17, feast day of San Antonio.
  Unterammergau, the site of the 11th-century Chapel of St Leonhard, patron saint of horses, which is the terminus of the annual Leonhardritt and Blessing of the Animals.
  Blessing of the Animals at Olvera Street, an event from 1930, is held every Sabado de Gloria (Holy Saturday). It is an all-day event with vendors, performers, and a procession where participants bring their animals to be blessed by religious authorities and others.
  Madrid, where the festival has been celebrated largely uninterrupted since the 19th century. It is also held in other parts of Spain, such as the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean and the northern city of Burgos.
  During the latter part of the 20th century, the blessing of animals and pets in the United States has become mainstream cultural activity, with services occurring in 48 states and districts in 2008.
caption: Blessing of cars, horses, and vehicles in front of the church of San Pedro de Santa Bárbara de Heredia, Costa Rica
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