Bizarre Festivals: El Colacho (Baby Jumping Festival), Spain
Continuing with bizarre Spain festivals, the annual El Colacho (baby jumping festival) is one of the most strangest and dangerous in practice. Dating back to 1620, El Colacho is held on the feast of Corpus Christi in the village of Castrillo de Murcia.
The festival involves laying babies (one year and under) on mattresses, while adult men dress up as devils and take turn jumping over them. It is believed that the jumping rids babies of original sin, and is considered almost like a baptism. Needless to say, it results in many injuries (mostly the men).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzJBpVVGcWw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G69sjz_lx4s
Bizarre Festivals Around The World: Cheese Rolling Festival, UK
Up on Cooper’s Hill in Gloucestershire, UK, the oddball Cheese Rolling Festival is held every May. Each year, an official tosses cheese down the extremely steep hill, and festival-goers run pell-mell in order to catch it. Naturally, life and limb are at stake, and the festival is results in a number of casualties.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOyQBSMeIhM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpzEF0D2xfE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZC5ykhXDDbo
