Pork was very important in Spain as it presented evidence of being
Cristiano Viejo (Old Christian). You surely have heard of the
Marranos, the Jews who converted to Christianism in Spain to avoid the expulsion after 1492. They are also known as Cryptojews.
Marrano, by the way, is synonymous of pig.
Refusing to eat pork was reason enough to be reported to the Inquisition.
In Valencia, Catalonia and the Balearic Islands there is a traditional festival celebrated on January 17th, in honour of
Sant Antoni Abat, better known in these lands as
Sant Antoni del porquet (St. Anthony of the little pork). He is the saint protector of the home, farm and labour animals and he is represented with a little pig at his feet.
The festival includes the blessing of such animals by the local priest to protect them from diseases, followed by different celebrations around fires. Indeed this looks as yet another pagan tradition preserved through Christianism.
Anyway, this used to be an important celebration in rural areas which could now become extinct as traditional ways vanish and such animals are no longer of importance for their economies, and as Christianism declines.
Strange how it is Christians who follow the ancient pagan rites. Ancient pagan traditions will die with Christianism while neo-Pagans have their mouths full with nonesense.
Maybe Sant Antoni's Day could be saved as a symbol of rejection of Islam and Judaism.
