Scenes from Festival of Luminaries in San Bartolome, Spain(6 images)

Horses are ridden through fire in the annual Festival of Luminaries in San Bartolomé de Pinares, Spain on January 16, 2023. The festival honors St. Anthony, the patrol saint of animals. Local custom maintains that the smoke from the fire purifies the horses, ridding them of disease.

Riders and horses go through flames of bonfires during the annual Festival of Luminarias in San Bartolome de Pinares, Spain, on January 16, 2023. Photo by Paul Hanna/UPI

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The festival is a local custom in which the horses with riders jump over the flames so that the smoke can purify them and rid them of disease. Photo by Paul Hanna/UPI

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More than 100 horses participated in the fire jumping. Photo by Paul Hanna/UPI

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About 20 bonfires were lit in the streets and small squares of San Bartolome for the event. Photo by Paul Hanna/UPI

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