Saint Blaise, our Blaise, and all of God’s creatures

At Khartes, we are two sisters… and Blas. Blas is our cocker spaniel: brown, curly, with velvet-like ears and infinite patience for posing in photos. He accompanies us to the workshop, travels with us and, when needed, wears his Saint Benedict medal as the best ambassador of the house. He shares his name with Saint Blaise, whose feast day we celebrate on February 3, and it seemed like the perfect excuse to tell you who this saint was, the beautiful legend of the animals that sought him out, and why, for us, caring for God’s creatures is also a way of praying.

Blas with his Saint Benedict medal

Who Was Saint Blaise

Saint Blaise was the bishop of Sebaste, in ancient Armenia (modern-day Sivas, Turkey). According to tradition, he lived as a hermit in a cave on Mount Argeus, from where he tended to his community, and died a martyr in the early 4th century, during the reign of Emperor Licinius. What we know of him comes mainly through tradition and legends, but his devotion spread quickly throughout the East and West. He is one of the fourteen holy helpers, those to whom people turned in the most specific needs of life.

The Catholic Church celebrates his feast day on February 3; Eastern Churches celebrate it on February 11.

The Saint to Whom Animals Turned

Of all the stories of Saint Blaise, this is the one we like best. Tradition tells us that, while he lived in his cave, sick animals would approach him so he could heal them, and that they were so respectful that they did not disturb him while he prayed: they waited outside until he was finished. When some hunters arrived at the mountain looking for wild beasts for the circus games, they found the animals quietly gathered at the entrance of the cave, waiting for the saint. That is how they discovered him and took him prisoner.

It is a very simple and beautiful image: a man of God at peace with all of creation, and all of creation recognizing him.

Blas, at peace with a wild horse

The Child of the Thorn and the Blessing of Throats

The other great story of Saint Blaise is that of a child who was choking on a fishbone stuck in his throat. His mother brought him to the saint, who prayed for him, and the child was saved. That is why Saint Blaise is the patron saint of those with throat ailments (and of otolaryngologists) and why, every February 3, throats are blessed in many parishes. That is why he is often depicted with two crossed candles. We tell you more about it in Saint Blaise and the tradition of blessing the throat.

And that is also where that saying comes from that more than one grandmother has uttered when someone chokes at the table: “Saint Blaise, Saint Blaise, may this animal not choke”.

Saint Blaise in Spain

Few feast days have so many different traditions from one town to another. Some of the best-known:

• Rosquillas and roscos de San Blas, in Oviedo, Pamplona, Jaén, or Jerez de la Frontera, among many other places.
• The cords of San Blas, which are blessed that day and worn around the neck for nine days, as in Cervatos (Cantabria), or the blessed necklaces of Salamanca.
• Processions, dances, and festivals in many towns where he is the patron saint.

Outside Spain, he is the patron saint of Paraguay and the city of Dubrovnik, Croatia.

God and All His Creatures

In Genesis, after creating the animals, “God saw that it was good” (Gen 1:25). Saint Francis of Assisi sang it in his Canticle of the Creatures, praising God for brother sun, sister moon, and sister water. And Pope Francis, who took the title of his encyclical Laudato si’ from that canticle, recalled it this way: “Every creature possesses its own goodness and perfection”, and all reflect, “each in its own way, a ray of God’s infinite wisdom and goodness”.

In the same encyclical, there is a phrase we love: “The heart is one”. Whoever learns to treat an animal with tenderness also learns to treat people with tenderness. Anyone who has a dog knows this: they teach you patience, loyalty, joy with little, and to give thanks for a walk, a ray of sunshine, or an empty beach.

Blas, Part of Khartes

Blas has been with us since he was a puppy: in the photo below you see him in New York, in 2017, when Khartes was still just an idea between Madrid and New York. Since then, he has been in almost everything. He comes to the workshop when we prepare orders, accompanies us on trips, and we have traveled together to beaches, mountains, and walks, and the Tower of Hercules in A Coruña, because we are Galician at heart and by family.

He doesn’t know about medals or enamels, but he understands what is important: being close to his loved ones. A bit like a medal, isn’t it? That quiet companionship you always carry with you.

Three dates for those who love their animals

• January 17, Saint Anthony. The patron saint of animals. In Madrid, the church of San Antón (63 Hortaleza Street) blesses animals at its doors all day long, and in the afternoon the traditional vueltas take place. It is a beautiful festival to go to with your dog.
• February 3, Saint Blaise. The saint of the animals that waited at the entrance of his cave, and the day of the blessing of throats.
• October 4, Saint Francis of Assisi. The saint of the Canticle of the Creatures. In many parishes, animals are also blessed around his feast day.

Blas’s Medal: Saint Benedict

Blas poses with a Saint Benedict medal, the medal that tradition associates with protection and one of the ones you gift most often for him, for a godchild, or for someone starting something new. We tell you its meaning in the meaning of the Saint Benedict medal and how to choose yours in the Saint Benedict medal: how to wear and choose it.

An important note: Blas’s medal is just for the photo. Animals, like babies, should not be left with a chain on without supervision.

Facts you can check

• Saint Blaise was the bishop of Sebaste (Armenia), lived as a hermit in a cave on Mount Argeus, and was martyred during the reign of Emperor Licinius. His feast day is February 3 in the West and February 11 in the East, and he is one of the fourteen holy helpers. Source
• According to tradition, sick animals would approach him so he could heal them without disturbing his prayer, and he saved a child who was choking on a fishbone; hence the blessing of throats. He is the patron saint of Paraguay and Dubrovnik. Source
• The encyclical Laudato si’ was signed on May 24, 2015, and takes its name from Saint Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of the Creatures. Source
• “Every creature possesses its own goodness and perfection” (n. 69) and “The heart is one” (n. 92). Source
• On the feast of Saint Anthony, the church of San Antón in Madrid (63 Hortaleza Street) blesses animals at its doors, and in the afternoon the vueltas de San Antón take place. Source

The most beautiful medals in the world are at Khartes. And if you want to see more of Blas (and our medals), follow us on Instagram: @khartesmadrid.

Marian, Bárbara, and Blas

The most beautiful medals are at www.khartesmadrid.com