Leonhard rides in Bavaria
In honor of Saint Leonhardi, people marched through the streets in several places in Bavaria on Monday. Around 300 horses and 70 festively decorated floats, some of them historic, were registered for what is probably the most famous pilgrimage in Bad Tölz, which was added to Unesco's list of intangible cultural heritage in Germany in 2017. Cardinal Reinhard Marx from Munich also took part in the pilgrimage and celebrated an open-air service on the Calvary.
St. Leonhardi is the patron saint of farm animals. Leonhard rides or rides in his honor are a custom in old Bavaria and parts of Austria. They take place around St. Leonhard's Day on November 6, with many places celebrating the day on the weekends before. In Kreuth (Miesbach district) and Rimsting (Rosenheim district), hundreds of horses would parade festively decorated floats through the streets.
In Benediktbeuern, however, there was no Leonhardi ride this year. In August, heavy hail had damaged the monastery, among other things, to such an extent that the Leonhardi committee of the municipality canceled the pilgrimage last month.
Customs in Upper Bavaria continue to celebrate St. Leonhardi, with Kreuth and Rimsting being notable for their grand Leonhard rides. Despite the damage to Benediktbeuern's monastery, the Leonhard ride didn't take place there this year.
Source: www.dpa.com
