El Baño de las Cabras (Bathing of the Goats)

Say what?
I missed it.
You missed it.
The annual Bathing of the Goats.

I looked at my "Goats" slide show over on the right column and could NOT figure out what these people were doing with goats on the beach and in the surf. Couple of clicks and I found this blog, Real Tenerife.

Check it out. The writer is good and the blog - interesting.
"Yesterday was Midsummer’s Day or the feast of San Juan (St John), a time of magic and ancient ritual and a time when Tenerife’s livestock get their annual baptism in the healing waters of the Ocean.

A tradition dating back to the Guanche indigenous people who populated the Canary Islands before the Spanish conquest, baño de las cabras (bathing of the goats) in the Midsummer water is said to keep the animals healthy and fertile for the coming year.

But as far as the goats are concerned, that whole “it’s for your own good” stuff just doesn’t cut it. Clearly completely averse to water, they behave as if they’re being systematically tortured and clearly assume the intent is to drown them, in broad daylight, in front of hundreds of witnesses."

Read the full blog here:http://realtenerife.wordpress.com/2010/06/25/bano-de-las-cabras-%E2%80%93-acting-the-goat-in-puerto-de-la-cruz/

Do watch the poor goat in the video. We now know that when push comes to drowning, goats can swim.

If this isn't a festival of torture, it sure sounds like one. Have I mentioned how goats hate rain? How they hate to get their feet wet when we flood?Clearly, this goat is not having fun.

Just who is the nut that came up with this? I suspect a drinking buddy started this with a friend as a bet, and it went from there.

This story proves my theory. Fiestas of San Juan – Midsummer Magic

The rest is Midsummer's Day history.