El Colacho: Spain’s peculiar baby-jumping festival explained

Tuesday 24 June 2025 - 11:20

By: Dakir Madiha

El Colacho: Spain’s peculiar baby-jumping festival explained

Spain is no stranger to bizarre festivals, but few rival the sheer strangeness of El Colacho, a centuries-old tradition celebrated in the small town of Castrillo de Murcia, near Burgos. This unusual festival, held annually in June to coincide with the Catholic feast of Corpus Christi, involves men dressed as devils leaping over babies lying in the street.

The ritual dates back to 1620 and is believed to cleanse infants of original sin. Babies born within the last 12 months are dressed in their finest clothes and placed on mattresses along the town’s main street. Men in bright yellow and red costumes, representing the devil, then take turns jumping over the newborns in a ceremony known locally as "El Salto del Colacho" (The Devil’s Jump).

Before the main event, a priest blesses the infants, ensuring their safety and spiritual purity. After the leap, the babies are showered with rose petals before being returned to their relieved parents, who then join the rest of the town for a day of festive celebrations, including dancing, feasting, and plenty of wine.

The baby-jumping spectacle is the highlight of the weekend-long fiesta, but the festivities also include other quirky traditions. The "devils" roam the streets wielding horse-hair whips, chasing and lashing at locals who taunt them with playful insults. The chaotic scenes are all part of the fun and add to the festival’s eccentric charm.

Although the festival was paused for two years due to the pandemic, it has resumed its role as a key attraction in Spain’s cultural calendar. For those eager to witness this peculiar tradition, Castrillo de Murcia is just a 35-minute drive from Burgos and accessible via bus or train from Madrid.

El Colacho stands out as one of Spain’s most unique and daring celebrations, a blend of religious symbolism and spirited revelry that has withstood the test of time.