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El Colacho 2023

A man dressed as a devil jumps over the babies to cleanse them of the original sin

Dates: June 11, 2023

El Colacho
El Colacho
El Colacho

If you have a newborn baby you can bring it to Castrillo de Murcia near Burgos and take part in this unusual festival that dates back to 1620. The culmination of this Spanish Catholic tradition comes when men dressed in bright yellow and red costumes known as Devils jump over the babies who lie on mattresses right on the street. The babies have to be born in the previous twelve months to participate in this ritual which is supposed to purify them from the original sin. Baby jumping or El Colacho takes place on the first Sunday after Corpus Christi.

Apart from colorful costumes, the Devils have whips and castanets, which they use to conduct mock attacks on the crowds, watching the unusual and somewhat scary spectacle.

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Last updated: by Eleonora Provozin