Over the weekend, Legends kicked off our Summer Festival Tour at Fairport Canal Days. So this week, we’re doing a theme week on Weird Festivals Around the World! First up, the baby jumping festival, which takes place in a small village in Northern Spain every year. It dates back to 1620, and it’s a mix of Catholic and Pagan rituals that represent the triumph of good over evil. A man dressed as the devil, in a yellow and red suit and mask, runs through the town and taunts onlookers, hurling insults at the villagers. Then drummers arrive, along with pious men who have come to drive out evil. El salto del Colacho (the flight of the devil) begins as the clock strikes 6 p.m. Babies born the previous year are laid on mattresses in the middle of the street, and the “devil” leaps over them. It’s believed that the devil absorbs the sins of the babies while also giving them protection from disease and misfortune. Afterward, the babies are showered in rose petals and given a blessing by the local priest before being collected by their parents. The devils usually jump over around 100 newborns and to date there have been no reports of injuries. Learn more here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzJBpVVGcWw&pp=ygUSYmFieSBqdW1waW5nIHNwYWlu