The Blessing
This is Père Broal who is officiating at the Blessing of the Animals in Gorbio village. In the smaller photo you see two of the Pénitents Blancs who assist in the ceremony. Apart from a lot of dogs, there was also a horse (normally there are lots of horses) and a duckling!
The dogs - a drooly Newfoundland today - are currently making an appearance on Riviera Dogs.
Click to enter yesterday's Caption Competition. 
je suis toujours surpris de voir des messes pour des animaux, mais cela attire du monde
ReplyDeleteYour pictures of the ceremony are real eye-openers. ;)
ReplyDeleteThere is an old custom involving (actually REvolving) chickens that some of our ultra-Orthodox still do before Yom Kippur, but I couldn't bring myself to post the pics.
Glad your animals get a blessing AND a happy life.
Gosh, Dina, it's fascinating to learn that it is a part of a ceremony before Yom Kippur practiced by some of the ultra-Orthodox Jews. When you read this and think of the wars in the world over religion, it emphasises how much closer we are than we think.
ReplyDeleteThe black and white dog on the right whose head you don't see looks like my daughter's Havanese!
ReplyDeleteHe's been on Riviera Dogs before Bibi. He's called Robbie.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rivieradogs.com/2009/09/robbie.html
Bibi, sorry. The black and white one is apparently a shihtzu. He's here...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rivieradogs.com/2009/09/anubia.html
Thanks, Jilly, for posting photos from this year's Blessing of the Animals ceremony. I remember how many more horses than dogs were present last year.
ReplyDeleteMight that be the lovely Boutchette (spelling?) in the second photo?
Ann, yes - well done! That's Boutchette and the other two belong to the grandfather of the Beausejour.
ReplyDeleteDear Jilly, see if you can find a copy of Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Peter Rabbit. I think you will love it.
ReplyDeleteOh of course! Duh! Thanks, Brattcat
ReplyDeleteJilly
ReplyDeleteTigger and my two cats were there in spirit. There is a church here that does the blessings, but Tigger is not polite and would be jumping and barking the whole time. I hope Beau and Mia made the blessing, this year.
Well maybe Mia like Tigger not the best dogs for public display.
Cheers,
Joanny
Joanny
ReplyDeleteNo, Mia and Beau didn't make the blessing. Mia would be impossible and freak out at the people and Beau isn't too good with his poor abscesses again. So whilst they doubtless need a blessing, they didn't get there. I'm sure someone is looking out for them tho as for your Tigger and your cats.
I'm not comfortable at all with the concept of blessing pets but then, they do bless fishing boats that go out at sea so why not?
ReplyDeleteGreat portrait, the first one.