Saint Anthony the Abbot – Blessing of the Animals
17 January 2026 — Every creature deserves a blessing. Have a peaceful day!
On 17 January the Catholic Church remembers Saint Anthony the Abbot (Anthony the Great), a monk from Egypt who lived in the 3rd–4th centuries and is regarded as a founder of Christian desert monasticism. In the late Middle Ages he became associated with domestic animals and with the people who care for them, which is why priests in many countries bless animals on or around this day. In Mexico the custom is very much alive: families bring dogs, cats, birds and sometimes horses, donkeys and farm animals to church, often decorated with ribbons, flowers and even little hats. The blessing is a gesture of gratitude toward the animals that work beside people and keep them company. The feast follows the fixed calendar of saints and falls in midwinter in the Northern Hemisphere, so it does not depend on the Moon. On a clear night you can look for animal constellations such as Canis Major (the Great Dog), Canis Minor (the Little Dog) and Lepus (the Hare), just below Orion.
Flying across the sky: An ethereal, bluish-silver procession made of luminous dots and fine connecting lines like a moving constellation: a small dog with a ribbon, a donkey crowned with flowers and a hen, walking calmly toward a tiny glowing bell
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