The Baby Jumping Festival
If you were to rank global traditions by their inherent anxiety-inducing qualities, El Colacho, held in the Spanish village of Castrillo de Murcia, would easily claim the top spot. Known in English as the Baby Jumping Festival, this event combines Catholic tradition with terrifying athletic feats.
The Devil's Leap
Dating back to 1620, the festival takes place to celebrate the Catholic feast of Corpus Christi. The premise involves laying babies—specifically those born in the village over the previous year—on mattresses arrayed along the public streets. Men dressed as the Devil, wearing vibrant yellow and red suits and menacing masks, then sprint down the street and hurdle over the infants.
The ritual is believed to cleanse the babies of original sin, ensure them safe passage through life, and guard against illness. The Catholic Church’s official stance has wavered on the event, with Pope Benedict XVI previously asking Spanish priests to distance themselves from it, asserting that only baptism can cleanse original sin. Yet, the Brotherhood of the Santísimo Sacramento de Minerva continues to organize it, fiercely protective of their heritage.
Global Oddities in Competition
While Spain leaps over infants, Finland carries spouses. The Wife Carrying World Championship in Sonkajärvi challenges men to navigate an obstacle course while carrying a female teammate. The prize? The wife's weight in beer. Elsewhere, the World Toe Wrestling Championship in Derbyshire, UK, sees competitors lock big toes to pin their opponent’s foot to the ground—a bizarre echo of thumb wrestling, elevated to a pub sport of immense local prestige.