St Anthony the Great / the Abbot
Spain holds this saint in great esteme due to his connection to their agricultural heritage as the patron saint of all animals. He is said to have made a lifelong friend of a pig who he healed with the sign of the cross and who roamed the Egyptian desert fasting and praying with animals as his only friends. Whereever you open your Hamiltons Franchise in Spain you will witness the annual pilgramage within towns and villages of both farm animals and domestic pets being paraded to meet with the local priest of their blessing. If you have animal loving clients visiting and viewing property in January they may be very interested to witness this lovely ceremony and perhaps even bring their own pets along to be blessed.
Farm Animals start the Tradition
The Feast of St Anthony originally became a tradition in agricultural areas of Spain particularly in Catalonia and any Hamiltons Franchise located in this region will come to recognise the heritage of this annual parade known as the Tres Tombs or Tonis when the farm animals and their carts are paraded around the village or town three times prior to being blessed for their work in the fields.
Modern Animal Blessings and Celebrations
Spain has had a mixed reputation with regard to their attitude to animals and some controversial practices do still exsist but, with more regulations in support of animal blessings and wellfare, it is now more usual for both domestic and working animals throughout Spain to be treated with respect and kindness. This can be seen in every town or village throughout the country when the Feast of St Anthony takes place, hundreds of owners and farmers will bring their animals and beloved pets to receive the blessing and parade them proudly to the altar and the priest. The Saints Day is actually on 17th January but, the ceremony is usually held on one of the weekends closest to this date so do check your local diary every year so that you can advise your client who are interested in buying property in the area where you have your Hamiltons Franchise office in case they would like to witness this wonderful event.
Basque Country and San Sebastian
For those of you who chose to open your Hamiltons Franchise business in the North of Spain in the Basque coastal areas you will find that the city of San Sebastian will be in high spirits each year on 20th January. Celebrations will take place to celebrate the Saint their city is named for which include religious processions, concerts, dances and gastronimic events. The day begins seriously though with a processional carring relics of the saint through the streets of the city to the Basilica, an amazing site to witness and something any clients thinking of buying property in the area will not want to miss out on. Coinciding with this Feast day is the La Tamborrada when locals dressed in white shirts, green scarves and black berets will march through the streets of the city playing drims. This large processiong continues in honour of the saint for 24 hours with the drums continuously beating and with people of all ages participating in this lively celebration.
San Sebastia Palma de Mallorca
Hamiltons Franchises located in this beautiful island in the Balearics will enjoy the celebration of the Mallorca’s patron saint who is also San Sebastian. Here there will be cultural activities taking place throughout the second half of January with the main celebration on the night of 19th January when a large bonfire is burnt in Placa Major. Musical concerts are held in a number of venues around the city of Palma and the city is full of people celebrating in to the early hours of the morning.
Jarramplas Festival
The municipality of Cáceres which borders Portugal and is a landlocked region of the Iberian Peninsula. Here they have their own traditions and in the small town of Piornal one of the most unusual January festivals in Spain takes place. Anyone selling property in this area should encourage their clients to witness this unique event and as an owner of a Hamiltons Franchise in the area of Cáceres / Extramadura you should see it yourself at least once! . The 19th of January is again the key date for your diary. People dress up as the Jarramplas who is a devilish character in fancy clothing who wears a conical mask with horns and a large nose. He wanders the city in this costume and participants in the festifal try to hit him with turnips. Each year a different person from the town volunteers to play the role of Jarramplans and it is considered an honour to be chosen. Parents even enrol infants to play the character in the future and the waiting list is more or less 20 years long!!!
Conclusion
Whereever you choose to start your Hamiltons Franchise Estate Agency in Spain make sure that you become part of the local community and familiarise yourself with local traditions, beliefs and quirks. Each month you will find that there is always something for the Spanish to celebrate and this knowledge is something that prospective house buyers will find interesting and useful when choosing where they wish to live. You’re in Spain now, work hard and play hard and your Hamiltons Franchise will grow and suceed with every Fiesta!!!
