14. The Baby Jumping Festival

Baptisms with holy water are overrated.

The daring babies in the Spanish village of Castrillo de Murica undergo a more extreme ritual. They’re placed on mattresses in rows of up to ten in the middle of the street. Then, men dressed as the devil leap over them. Locals believe the demons pull original sin from infants as they leap over them.

Photo by Nick Gammon

“EL Colacho,” or the Baby Jumping Festival, is usually held every year on the Sunday after Corpus Christi. Every year, babies born in the last twelve months are offered to the jump-suit wearing devils. The jumpers are members of the brotherhood known as Santisimo Sacramento de Minerva.

According to reports, there have been no serious injuries inflicted on the babies since the ritual was first held back in the 1600s.

Celebrations usually kick off a week before “El Colacho” with music processions and feasts. Oh, and the devil chases crowds through the streets with whips.