El Coracho (Baby Jumping)

Name: El Coracho (Baby Jumping)
Location: Castrillo de Murcia

Spain's Daring Baby Jumping Festival

2019/06/22

Every June, the small northern Spanish village of Castrillo de Murcia becomes the stage for one of the world’s most unique festivals: El Colacho, or the Baby Jumping Festival. Held during the Catholic feast of Corpus Christi, this tradition features men dressed as devils leaping over rows of babies laid out on mattresses in the street. Locals, families, and curious travelers from around the globe are drawn to this mysterious, sacred, and somewhat humorous celebration.

El Colacho is not just for villagers—anyone can attend or watch, making it an open and welcoming tradition. It’s a rare chance to experience a living piece of Spanish folklore where the sacred and the surreal blend together.

Main Attractions

The Devil’s Leap

The climax of the festival is the “Salto del Colacho” (Devil’s Jump). On Sunday afternoon, after several days of processions and festivities, men dressed in striking yellow and red costumes and masks (the “Colacho” devils) dash through the streets, castanets clacking. Under the watchful eyes of the villagers, babies less than a year old are laid on mattresses in white christening clothes. As the devil leaps over them, the air is thick with tension and anticipation.

Key Events

The festival begins on the Wednesday after Trinity Sunday, with processions led by the Brotherhood of the Blessed Sacrament. The devils parade through the village, cracking whips and playfully taunting locals. On the final day, the streets—decorated with flowers and white sheets—host a grand parade, with altars offering wine and bread, filling the air with fragrance. After the jump, the priest blesses the babies and girls shower them with rose petals to complete the ritual.

Costumes and Decorations

The Colacho wears a yellow mask and a red-and-yellow suit, with a belt of large castanets. His companion, the Atabalero (drummer), dons a black coat and top hat, beating a drum to signal the leap. The village is adorned with flowers, white cloths, colorful pillows, and banners, while the sounds of drums and castanets echo throughout.

Cultural and Historical Background

The origins of El Colacho date back to the early 17th century in Castrillo de Murcia, northern Spain. The earliest records go back to 1620, and the festival is believed to have emerged from a blend of Catholic Corpus Christi traditions and older European “devil-chasing” and purification rituals. The village’s Brotherhood of the Blessed Sacrament (Cofradía del Santísimo Sacramento de Minerva) has organized the event for centuries, always holding it on the Sunday after Corpus Christi.

The central figure, “El Colacho,” is the devil in a yellow and red costume and mask, who leaps over the year’s newborns laid on mattresses in the street. This act is believed to absorb the babies’ original sin, misfortune, and illness, protecting their innocent lives. After the jump, the priest’s blessing and a shower of rose petals from village girls complete the ritual, as the whole community prays for the children’s healthy growth.

Though sometimes criticized by church authorities as superstition, villagers have preserved the festival as a rite of passage and a tradition that strengthens family and community bonds across generations. Today, the Brotherhood continues to organize El Colacho, which stands as one of Spain’s most unique “living traditions” and a symbol of local pride and identity.

Participant Voices

I came from England to see it. The costumes, the tension before the jump, and the moment when the whole village holds its breath are unforgettable. A local father told me, “It’s scary, but we would never miss it!”

Fun Facts

This festival has been held almost every year since the 1620s, giving it over 400 years of history.
Despite its dramatic appearance, there are no records of accidents during the jump; the devils are carefully trained and selected from the brotherhood.
Babies are dressed in white christening clothes, and after the jump, are showered with rose petals as a blessing.