And if you liked this post, be sure to check out these popular posts:
1 of 38
Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images
2 of 38
Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images
3 of 38
The man playing Jarramplas puts on protective undergarments.Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images
4 of 38
Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images
5 of 38
Doors and windows are boarded up before the festival begins.Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images
6 of 38
Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images
7 of 38
Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images
8 of 38
Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images
9 of 38
Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images
10 of 38
Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images
11 of 38
Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images
12 of 38
Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images
13 of 38
Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images
14 of 38
The man playing the Jarramplas (left) and his sister perform the customary ritual of walking the statue of Saint Sebastian to the altar in the nearby church.Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images
This Spanish Town Pelts A Monster With Turnips During The Jarramplas Festival
View Gallery
You could never accuse Spain of being dull. Every January on Saint Sebastian Day in the city of Piornal, a man dons the colorful armor of the devil-like folk character Jarramplas, grabs a drum, and walks down the city's cobblestone alleys as residents pelt him with turnips.
The turnip storm continues until the masked man gives up -- but that could take a while. It's a point of pride to see how long someone can last as Jarramplas, so much so that parents in Spain's Cáceres province sign their children up at birth for a spot on the 20-year-long waiting list.
Given the fanfare, you'd think the Jarramplas Festival origin story is pretty solidified. It's not: All we know is that today, modern folklore says the turnip-pelting tradition symbolizes the expulsion of everything evil from the town. Other origin theories range from an interpretation of the myth of Hercules and the cattle-thieving giant Cacus, to the still-begrudged ostracizing of a more recent cattle thief.
Whatever its origins, the ceremony has become massive, using more than 22 tons of turnips every year. But while there may be more turnips nowadays, the pelting used to hurt worse: For centuries, residents threw tons of potatoes instead. And this was before modern protective gear even existed.
Next, read why this tiny little region in Spain keeps getting by space junk, before taking an inside look at La Tomatina, Spain’s bizarre tomato-throwing festival.
