Festival of wine horses will be held in Spain

During May 1-5 in the old Spanish town of Caravaca de la Cruz in the Murcia province will be held one of the most famous religious festivals in Spain. Caravaca de la Cruz festival has a very long history. Caballos del Vino en Caravaca De La Cruz Festival of wine horse festival originates from the time of confrontation between the Crusaders and the Muslims. The city had a tremendous value for the Christians as it kept the relic - the cross of Vera Cruz, which included a fragment of the cross, on which the Jesus was crucified, while for the Muslims it was important due to the strategic location.

Therefore, Caravaca de la Cruz suffered from constant battles. Due to the hot climate and small number of water sources, wine and drinking water was delivered to the city on horses from the neighboring villages. Crusaders had to ride almost the whole day without break to bring water to the defenders. Many horses fell dead unable to withstand such exhausting travels. So, strong and enduring horses were appreciated in Caravaca de la Cruz, and celebrations were organized in their honor. On the day of Caballos del Vino the whole city was decorated with flowers, the streets are full of horses decorated with hand-made silk and gold embroidered garlands and horse cloth. At 12 o'clock on the squares of Plaza Nueva and Plaza del Arco are held horse races without riders. The festival ends with spectacular fireworks late at night.

But on the next day in Caravaca de la Cruz starts new holiday - the Day of the Holy Cross. It is dedicated to the miraculous event, which, according to the legend, occurred in the local church in 1231. The Moorish monarch Ceyt Abuceyt got interested in Christian rituals and ordered the priest Peres Hynes to lead a service. The priest agreed, but noted that there was no cross on the altar. After the prayer two angels came and brought a cross. This miracle pushed the Moorish king to adopt Christianity.