{{Short description|Former Spanish festivity}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}} thumb|Church of Manganeses de la Polvorosa, dedicated to Vincent of Saragossa '''Goat throwing''' (in Spanish: ''Lanzamiento de cabra desde campanario'' or ''Salto de la cabra'') was a festival celebrated in the town of Manganeses de la Polvorosa, province of Zamora, Spain, on the fourth Sunday of January. The festival coincided with the commemoration of Saint Vincent the Martyr.
==Background== It is unclear when the tradition of throwing a goat from the belfry of the {{ill|Church of Saint Vincent Martyr|qid=Q125813192}} in the town of Manganeses de la Polvorosa began.{{cn|date=July 2024}} The festival coincided with the commemoration of Saint Vincent's saint's day.<ref name="BBC" /> Each year, local residents threw a live goat from the top of the church. Below, a crowd would then catch the falling goat with a canvas sheet. Some goats survived the fall and some did not.<ref name="marbella">{{Cite web |date=2009-08-27 |title=Goat throwing in Spain |url=https://www.marbella-guide.com/goat-throwing-in-Spain/ |access-date=2024-02-09 |publisher=Marbella Guide}}</ref> If the goat survived it was revered and paraded through the small village, becoming a local legend for years to come. The event was organized by young men, {{Interlanguage link|quintos (Spain)|es|quintos|lt=who had just turned 18}}, and were now eligible for military service.<ref name ="guardian"/>
The event is inspired by a legend that states that a priest's goat, whose milk fed the poor, fell out of the tower, but landed safely. Another story says that the goat made its way up the belfry to eat the food left for the doves, it lost its footing and fell, and the goat landed on its hooves and disappeared into the woods.<ref name="Getzlaff">{{Cite news |last=Getzlaff |first=J.A. |date=2000-01-21 |title=Rites of fling |url=https://www.salon.com/2000/01/21/spain_2 |work=Salon}}</ref>
==Animal rights== Spain has a number of festivals that involve some sort of animal cruelty. Among them are burning the bull, donkey baiting, shaving of the beasts (Galicia), garrotting the galgos, quail catapulting, Day of the Geese, running of the bulls, and bull fighting.<ref name="Dollimore">{{Cite news |last=Dollimore |first=Laurence |date=2018-02-04 |title=Seven Snish Traditions of Extreme Animal TortureThat Must be Stopped |url=https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2018/02/04/seven-spanish-traditions-of-extreme-animal-torture-that-must-be-stopped |work=The Olive Press}}</ref>
Over the years, animal rights groups demanded an end to the practice of throwing the goat.<ref name="BBC">{{Cite news |date=1998-01-25 |title=Spanish ceremony gets Lorelay's goat |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/50360.stm |work=BBC News}}</ref> In 1992, the local governor banned the toss. The villagers used ropes to lower the goat, but in 1993 they went back to dropping the goat from the church.<ref name ="guardian">{{Cite news |last=Turner |first=Kernan |date=2000-01-23 |title=Fiesta 'spoiled' as villagers barred from tossing goat |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2000/jan/24/2 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> Once again, the practice was banned in 2000. A toy plush goat was thrown in the 2014 celebration.<ref name="interbenavente">{{Cite web |date=26 January 2014 |title=Y una cabra saltó desde el campanario en Manganeses de la Polvorosa |url=http://interbenavente.es/not/6140/y_una_cabra_salto_desde_el_campanario_en_manganeses_de_la_polvorosa |website=benavente.es |language=es}}</ref>
== See also == {{Portal|Animals}} * Animal rights * Cruelty to animals * Pain in animals
== References == {{reflist}} ==External links== *{{Cite news |date=2000-01-11 |title=Spaniards Won't Throw Goat |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/spaniards-wont-throw-goat |work=AP |via=CBS News}} *{{Cite news |date=1999-01-24 |title=Goat survives traditional toss from town tower |url=https://www.deseret.com/1999/1/24/19428018/goat-survives-traditional-toss-from-town-tower |work=Deseret News}}
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Category:Animal festival or ritual Category:Animal rights Category:Cruelty to animals Category:Festivals in Spain Category:Goats Category:Province of Zamora Category:Animals in entertainment Category:January observances Category:2000 disestablishments in Spain Category:Christian bell towers Category:Bell towers in Spain Category:Sunday observances Category:Rites of passage Category:Recurring events disestablished in 2000