Blessing of animals

Blessing of animals can be either of the animal or of the human-animal relationship, and can apply to pets and other companion animals, or to agricultural animals and working and other animals which humans depend on or interact with.

Blessing of animals, or of the slaughtering process, before slaughter, is a key element of some religions.

Ceremonial blessing of companion animals occurs throughout the world, for example, Australia, Canada, Scotland,
*
*
*
* Spain,
and the United States.

Blessing of animals is a religious activity, and occurs broadly across most religions in some form, including, for example, across Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Shinto, Unitarian Universalism,
amongst others.

Secular respect for animals is also strong, for example, World Animal Day, an international day of action for animal rights and welfare celebrated annually, but is still held on 4 October, the feast day of Francis of Assisi, a Christian patron saint of animals.

Christianity

Annually now, on or around October 4, Christians worldwide celebrate the Feast of Saint Francis with a blessing of animals and prayers for creation.

*United States figures from ''American Catholic'', "St. Francis of Assisi: Pet Blessings 2008".
*United States culturisation from Laura Hobgood-Oster, ''Holy Dogs & Asses: Animals in the Christian Tradition'' (Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 2008), 106-116.

Catholicism has specific liturgies for the blessing of animals, highlighting creation and interdependence. United Methodists also have a specific liturgy highlighting creation and mutual interdependence.

Separate variants of Christianity will sometimes combine to hold joint, ecumenical, animal blessing ceremonies, for example Catholic and Episcopal Church (United States) churches.

Judaism

Many synagogues now have ceremonies for the blessing of animals, and some say the idea may have originated in ancient Judaism. The Jewish ceremony is often performed on the seventh day of Passover (in the spring) as a celebration of the Hebrews’ (and their animals’) emancipation from slavery in Egypt more than 3,000 years ago. Many Jewish congregations schedule blessings of the animals after the High Holy Days, with ceremonies around the second weekly Torah portion of the Jewish Year, the Parashat Noach, the portion about Noah and the ark, the saving of both humans and other animals, they also being gifts from God.

Other Jewish ceremonies are derived from the Christian ceremony and are not derived from traditional Judaism, which gives some concern for more traditional followers of Judaism.

Ritual slaughter

For meat to be kosher, a ritual blessing to God is required for the animals about to be slaughtered, shechita.

Coming of age

A Bark Mitzvah is an observance and celebration of a dog's coming of age,Shari Cohen and Marcelo Gindlin. ''Alfie's Bark Mitzvah.'' Chandler: Five Star Publications, 2007. Book with audio CD. , . . analogous to the Jewish traditional Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah terminology. The term has been in use since at least 1958.

The bark mitzvah ceremony is not universally well regarded in Judaism.

Islam

Ritual slaughter

Islamic dhabiha requires that God's name be pronounced before each slaughter.

Culturalisation

Some towns and cities have the blessing of animals as a cultural event, for example:
* San Juan del Río, on January 17, feast day of San Antonio.
* Unterammergau, the site of the 11th-century Chapel of St Leonhard, patron saint of horses, which is the terminus of the annual Leonhardritt and Blessing of the Animals.
* Blessing of the Animals at Olvera Street, an event from 1930, is held every Sabado de Gloria ( Holy Saturday). It is an all-day event with vendors, performers, and a procession where participants bring their animals to be blessed by religious authorities and others.
* Madrid, where the festival has been celebrated largely uninterrupted since the 19th century. It is also held in other parts of Spain, such as the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean and the northern city of Burgos.
* During the latter part of the 20th century, the blessing of animals and pets in the United States has become mainstream cultural activity, with services occurring in 48 states and districts in 2008.

Culturally significant animals

Rare animal instances can have great significance in belief systems and may be ritually blessed as part of that tradition, for example the white buffalo, Kenahkihinén, in North America.

In popular culture

In art

* Master of Saint Veronica

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