The men were holding long staffs, and the women had baskets with cookies for young spectators. Then I heard the drums. I eagerly stepped closer to the street and peeked over the crowds to see lines of drummers dressed similarly to the shepherds. The drummers were all men, but soon women of various ages followed them, wearing long skirts and colorful shawls. I enjoyed the parade, but I kept peering through the crowds to catch a glimpse of the animals. Soon I heard the bells hanging on the goats' necks as they arrived! In a wave of fur and hooves, the streets flooded with 1,200 sheep and 200 goats. I was giddy with pure joy at seeing so many animals I normally find in petting zoos taking over the streets!
After it was over and the pavement was soaped down to make the street walkable again, I felt complete bliss, as I still could not believe what I had just seen!
These goats and sheep, along with cows and sometimes donkeys, live in rural areas in northern Spain. In the parade, you can see one of the shepherds holding up a flag of León. This is a region in the northwest of Spain that gets very cold and dry in the winter, and thus unfit for cattle! Their migration within Madrid starts in Casa de Campo, a large park that was once a space for royalty to go hunting. They then migrate further south to farmland in the warmer regions.
During winter months, pastures in the north of Spain are not suitable for goats and sheep to be able to graze, or eat. For this reason, thousands of livestock, primarily sheep and many goats, migrate every year to the south of Spain to graze in warmer, more lush pastures.
