Spain is known for unusual cultural and religious practices, such as the Capirote, La Tomatina, the running of bulls etc, some of which are even banned by the Church of the Vatican. But, the strangest of all is the El Colache or simply the devil's jump, which has still been in practice over the years, since the beginning of the 17th century.
El Colache is celebrated most prominently in the province of Burgos, where men dressed in red and yellow as 'the devil' jump over infant babies to cleanse them of their original sin, and to let them have a protected life free of curses and omens. All the babies born in the last one year are made to lie on mattresses laid down on the streets, as the devil comes running to jump over them, holding whips and castanet, facilitating a safe passage to life!
This bizarre festivity does not have a solid origin or place of birth, the roots remain unknown, but is aimed to absolve the infant sinners of their sins, as the men dressed in hideous yellow costumes come sprinting and petrifying the onlookers.
Said to have its roots in paganism, the ritual is categorically unorthodox, and is frowned upon by many religious institutions around the world. The Catholic Church has even asked the people to keep a distance from this practice, but the practice has never stopped. The flying devils still flies to baptise infants, depicting a heart-stopping ritual of the triumph of good over evil!
It started with the local residents of the village of Castrillo de Murcia, but eventually people from all over the world have started flying to this small village in the north of Spain to witness the flying devils the strange ritual and to get their babies baptised the unconventional way.
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