What do you suppose the Devil and the Spanish infants have in common? In Spain, two polar principles: embodied evil and the image of purity, interact in a unique way.
For nearly 400 years, the mystery of the Devil’s soul-cleansing leap has existed in the town of Castrillo de Murcia. When the Devil (El Colacho) leaps over the newborn, he takes with him his original sin as well as all of the unclean strength. From the outside, the healing leap appears to be a risky proposition, but no child has ever been injured during the festival’s history. This encouraging statistic serves as a powerful encouragement to continue the old custom.
The event takes over the entire city in its game after the Corpus Christi holiday. The protagonists are males dressed in yellow and red. They begin going around the streets with a club, whipping or beating the inhabitants. You will purify your soul if you are “fortunate” enough to be spanked or lightly beaten.
El Colacho goes on to the children as soon as he finishes with the adult sinners. The babies must also be under the age of one year. El Colacho sprints and swiftly navigates the living obstacle course with the babies lying out on soft mattresses along the route. When the soul purification is completed, the infants are sprinkled with rose petals, and the entire crowd goes to enjoy some fine local wine.
Although the celebration has been going on since 1621 and is a big hit with the locals, not everyone is in favor of it. The Pope has condemned the practice, claiming that baptism is the only way to be cleansed before God. Because no one has heeded the Pope’s advice, El Colacho continues to enchant locals and visitors alike.
