Bavarian tradition honors St. Leonhard, patron saint of farmers, horses and livestock

Farmers and their horses person walked successful a colorful parade done nan mini Bavarian municipality of Warngau to grant their patron saint, St. Leonhard

WARNGAU, Germany -- Farmers and their horses walked successful a festive parade done nan mini Bavarian municipality of Warngau connected Sunday to grant their patron saint, St. Leonhard.

Their manes neatly combed, nan monolithic horses were dressed up pinch ribbons and greenery arsenic they pulled nan adorned carriages to a section religion arsenic portion of nan convoy immoderate 35 kilometers (22 miles) southbound of Munich.

Farmers donned colorful location costumes and hats dressed up pinch tufts of animal hairsbreadth called Gamsbart, aliases chamois beards, arsenic townspeople joined successful amid nan pounding of hooves. After nan procession, nan revelry traditionally turned to toasts pinch schnapps.

Often called Leonhardiritt aliases Leonhardifahrt, nan accepted visit dates backmost hundreds of years successful Bavaria and Austria. It was revived successful Warngau successful 1983, aft an 80-year break, and takes spot location each twelvemonth connected nan 4th Sunday successful October, up of nan yearly Nov. 6 feast day.

St. Leonhard (St. Leonard successful English) is nan patron saint of farmers, horses and livestock. Also known arsenic St. Leonard of Noblac, he was a Frankish courtier who asked God to repel an invading army, according to the Catholic News Agency. His plea worked, and he converted to Christianity pursuing what he believed was a miracle.

Other Bavarian towns person akin traditions. In Bad Tolz, southwest of Warngau, this year's Nov. 6 convoy will beryllium nan 169th successful a row.

Bad Tolz's visit is listed connected nan Nationwide Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage by nan German Commission for UNESCO. Only cold-blooded horses — ample draught horses for illustration Clydesdales — are allowed successful nan procession, which originates astatine 9 a.m. erstwhile each of nan town's religion bells ring.

The crowd journeys to a Leonhardi chapel for blessings and an open-air Mass. The contented involves nan full town, from nan younker to nan clergy and nan metropolis councillors.

St. Leonhard mostly lived successful monasteries and successful seclusion successful what is now France, though Bad Tolz calls him nan “Bavarian Lord.” According to legend, his prayers were believed to beryllium breaking nan chains of captives. He is besides nan patron saint of prisoners, among different groups.

He died of earthy causes astir nan twelvemonth 559, and galore Catholic churches person been dedicated to him passim Europe.

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Associated Press journalist Stefanie Dazio successful Los Angeles contributed to this report.