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Each week, Gadling is taking a look at our favorite festivals around the world. From music festivals to cultural showcases to the just plain bizarre, we hope to inspire you to do some festival exploring of your own. Come back each Wednesday for our picks or find them all HERE.

Every year Catholic observers around the world celebrate the holiday of Corpus Christi. The festivities represent a Christian feast in honor of the Holy Eucharist. But in the Spanish city of Castrillo de Murcia, they like to do things a little differently. With colorful costumes, religious processions, mystery plays, mock terror and a uniquely Spanish ceremony that involves jumping over babies, also known as "El Colacho."

Starting in late May or early June and lasting for five days, visitors will witness a series of rituals that are a mixture of traditional Spanish folklore and religion, each designed to cleanse evil from the little town. It works like this: a group of local men representing evil are denoted as the Brotherhood of Santisimo Sacramento de Minerva. These men are responsible for organizing the celebration. They are then split into two groups; the El Salto del Colacho (the devils), who wear brightly colored red and yellow costumes and will later jump over the babies, and the El Atabalero, who dress in black suits with large sombreros and carry large drums. Oddly enough the men who play these strange roles do so as they feel their lives have been cursed in one way or another. Taking part in the ceremonies is believed to eliminate the evil perceived to be plaguing their lives.

Wondering what happens next? Keep reading below to learn more about one of Spain's craziest festivals.

Continue reading Baby jumping at Spain's oddest Corpus Christi Festival

Baby jumping at Spain's oddest Corpus Christi Festival originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 07 Apr 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>baby jumpingBabyJumpingbaptismburgoscastrillo de murciaCastrilloDeMurciacatholiccatholicismcorpus christiCorpusChristieasterel colachoel salto de colachoel salto del colachoElColachoElSaltoDelColachoespanaeucharistfestival of the weekFestivalOfTheWeekholy communionHolyCommunionMJHeilbrunoddsatanstrangeweirdWed, 07 Apr 2010 14:00:00 EST