The annual baby jumping festival in Castrillo de Murcia, Spain, is just over a week away (Sunday, June 11). In this bizarre festival grown men, dressed as El Colacho (the devil), jump over tiny babies to ward off bad luck and to cleanse the babies of the evil that infests them when they are born.
… The origins of this peculiar tradition are not entirely clear, but it is believed to have emerged as a way to ward off evil spirits and protect the newborns. The festival combines religious and pagan elements, creating a fascinating and somewhat controversial spectacle.