When we think of Spain, we may think of bullfighting first, but besides bullfighting, Spain is also famous for its tourism and animal husbandry. Today we are going to experience the annual Madrid Sheep Festival.

The Running of the Sheep Festival is an annual festival held in Madrid, Spain, which celebrates and commemorates the ancient tradition of migrating sheep.

Trashumancia is a type of grazing that moves livestock from one place to another in search of a better climate and more pasture, depending on the seasons.

The history of the Fiesta de la Trashumancia dates back to 1418, when the Madrid City Council and the Mesta (a shepherds' association) signed an agreement allowing shepherds to pass through the city's roads for a fee of 50 maraidis (an ancient coin) per year. The agreement protects Spain's vias pecuarias, which are roads created specifically for migrating livestock.

The custom of Fiesta de la Trashumancia includes the following aspects:

Every autumn (usually at the end of October), thousands of sheep (and sometimes bulls and horses), led by shepherds, make their way through the streets of Madrid from the suburbs to the city center.

Shepherds wear traditional clothing such as black berets, wide red belts, and wooden shoes.

In front of the town hall, there are folk dances and musical performances such as jota (a Spanish dance), as well as sounds made with whistles and drums.

The mayor greeted the shepherds and charged them the fees stipulated in the 1418 agreement. The mayor also gives a speech extolling the importance and value of migrating sheep.

The sheep moved on, past the Plaza de Cibeles, to the Plaza de Colon, Then turn to the square near the Palace (Palacio de Oriente) and Catedral de la Almudena, where the celebrations continue.

Sheep are so cute! The lamb followed the mother of the sheep, walked slowly but also ran two steps, and encountered the scene of "blocking sheep" when they met the corner.

Each sheep has a symbol that looks like a six-pointed star in case they get lost, and the shepherd's shoes behind them are also very distinctive!

Finally, two black bulls pulling a wooden cart pull up in front of the town hall to mark the end of the festival.

The next day, the sheep left Madrid for the winter in the Parque Regional del Rio Guadarrama.

Traditional herding is integrated into the modern city, and this year the local dogs are lucky enough to witness the spectacular scene of "hundreds of millions of sheep migration", and are lucky enough to touch baa, passing on good luck. The feel of the sheep and goats was not as soft as expected, and the smell along the way was even more difficult to describe, but I was already warmed by the enthusiasm of the Spanish people, but overall it was a very memorable experience!