Dog spinning ( bg, тричане на куче(та), ) is a ritual that was traditionally practiced on the first day of

Lent Lent ( la, Quadragesima, 'Fortieth') is a solemn religious observance in the liturgical calendar commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke ...

in the village of

Brodilovo Brodilovo ( bg, Бродилово, ) is a remote village in the Strandzha (''Strandja'') mountains of southeastern Bulgaria, within the range of the national park preserve, and part of Tsarevo Municipality, Burgas Province. Lying on the left bank ...

in southeastern

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...

. The ritual is thought to have

pagan Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...

origins and was performed in order to prevent

rabies Rabies is a viral disease that causes encephalitis in humans and other mammals. Early symptoms can include fever and tingling at the site of exposure. These symptoms are followed by one or more of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, vi ...

. In dog spinning, a

dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. Do ...

is suspended above water on a rope. The dog is turned repeatedly in a given direction to wind the rope, or is inserted into a loop of rope that has been twisted already. The dog is then released so that it spins rapidly in the opposite direction as the rope unwinds, and falls into the water once the rope has run out.

History

Historically the ritual was performed in many other parts of

as well and although the exact practice varied regionally, e.g. whipping or beating the dogs instead of spinning them, it was performed on the same date and with the same goal. Reports of this type of ritual can be found as early as 1869.

Animal welfare concerns

The Swedish newspaper ''

Aftonbladet ''Aftonbladet'' (, lit. "The evening paper") is a Swedish daily newspaper published in Stockholm, Sweden. It is one of the largest daily newspapers in the Nordic countries. History and profile The newspaper was founded by Lars Johan H ...

'' reported protests at the Bulgarian Embassy in Stockholm about the cruelty of this tradition. These occurred as Bulgaria prepared to join the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...

in 2005. A reference in English is in a press release issued by the

UK Green Party The Green Party, also known as the Green Party UK, was a Green political party in the United Kingdom. Prior to 1985 it was called the Ecology Party, and before that PEOPLE. In 1990, it separated into three political parties: * the Green Part ...

, issued on July 29, 2005. It includes a statement from Green Party MEP

Caroline Lucas Caroline Patricia Lucas (born 9 December 1960) is a British politician who has twice led the Green Party of England and Wales and has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Brighton Pavilion since the 2010 general election. She was re-elected ...

, vice-president of the

RSPCA The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) is a charity operating in England and Wales that promotes animal welfare. The RSPCA is funded primarily by voluntary donations. Founded in 1824, it is the oldest and largest an ...

and the European Parliament's cross-party Animal Welfare Intergroup. Dr Lucas criticised it as being cruel to dogs, saying "Dog-spinning is a barbaric practice and must not be allowed to continue into the 21st century." The ''Sofia Echo'' reported the practice in March 2011. The practice of the ritual was banned by the mayor of

Tsarevo Tsarevo ( bg, Царево, , also transliterated as Carevo or Tzarevo) is a town and seaside resort in the Municipality of Tsarevo, Burgas Province, Bulgaria. Etymology In the past, it was known as Vasiliko ( el, Βασιλικόν), and betwe ...

in 2006 after complaints by Bulgarian

animal welfare Animal welfare is the well-being of non-human animals. Formal standards of animal welfare vary between contexts, but are debated mostly by animal welfare groups, legislators, and academics. Animal welfare science uses measures such as longevity ...

organizations. There have been reports of the practice continuing sporadically, and animal welfare organisations have tried to ensure this does not happen.

References

{{reflist

External links

Green Party article: EU powerless to halt 'dog spinning' in Bulgaria

Video of dog spinning taking place
Animal festival or ritual Animal welfare