The summer pasture is the time when the animals leave their winter shelter to find the pastures and the mountains. It is a very strong marker for the Auvergne in particular, which marks the return of sunny days, with ceremonies and festivals bringing together thousands of inhabitants ... festivals which will obviously not take place this year.
For certain deconfinement is approaching sooner than expected?
Thousands of lucky people will be able to breathe in the great outdoors and enjoy well-deserved freedom! As every year in fact, as May approaches, it is time for deconfinement for thousands of herds, throughout France, sheep and cows come out of the stables and sheepfolds, where they spent the winter for make their seasonal transhumance, to join the green mountain pastures where they will stay all summer! But this year the departure for the high pastures will be incognito… It seems compromised, it must be said that during the month of May certain festivals estimes usually brings together a lot more people than for a U2 concert! For example, for the departure of salers cows to Allaches in Cantal, 40,000 people come to see the stars with horns parading, to the rhythm of the bells, these enormous bells which they wear around their necks. It is the breeders who accompany their animals for long hours of walking but not only, there are artisans, traders, locals, tourists from the 4 corners of the country who join the festivities, a good pretext to make known the trades and practices related to animal husbandry, agriculture, crafts and local products.
Transhumance has recently become a classified event!
Since last December the seasonal transhumance of animals along the migratory routes of our mountains has been classified as intangible cultural heritage of humanity - a 4,000-year-old eve tradition which will experience a floating year, without fanfare or celebration - still happy that the animals in herds are not forced to respect the rules of distancing.