Baby jumping Festival

El Colacho

Hold onto your hats (and your babies!), because once a year in mid-June, the devil gets loose in the small Spanish village of Castrillo de Murcia. El Colacho, a peculiar mix of pagan and Catholic rituals dating back to 1620, is not just any festival—it’s a high-flying spectacle where good triumphs over evil in the most unusual way. Picture this: men in vibrant red and yellow masks, known as “Colachos,” dash through the streets, whipping up mischief and swatting villagers with horse tails on sticks, all in the name of banishing bad vibes.

Just when you think you’ve seen it all, the drums roll out, and the main event begins. In a heart-stopping tradition, babies born in the past year are laid on mattresses in the middle of the street. Then, in what might be the most jaw-dropping baby shower ever, these costumed “demons” leap over the little ones in a supposed act of cleansing. This ritual, believed to absorb the infants’ sins and shield them from misfortune, turns baby laying into a spectator sport, with villagers and visitors jeering at the Colachos to ward off their own bad luck for the coming year.

This festival has drawn curious and courageous participants from all around the globe, eager to have their children partake in this ancient baptism of bounce. And don’t worry—despite the eyebrow-raising antics, there’s been no record of injuries, though it does spark lively debates within the Catholic Church. So, if you’re up for a dash of daring devilry and a unique cultural experience, El Colacho is the festival where even the smallest participants get a taste of high-flying action!