Origins of the Catholic-Pagan Synthesis
Celebrated continuously since at least 1620, El Colacho is organized by the local Cofradía del Santísimo Sacramento de Minerva (Brotherhood of the Most Blessed Sacrament of Minerva). The ritual is an extraordinary blend of Catholic Corpus Christi theology and pre-Christian pagan purification practices.
According to regional belief, when the costumed devil (El Colacho) leaps over the babies lying on mattresses in the town squares, he absorbs all their original sins and protects them against evil spirits, misfortune, and illness throughout their lifetime.
The Sequence of the Ceremony
The festival stretches over several days, but reaches its zenith on Sunday afternoon. The Colacho runs through the streets holding a whip made of horsehair or oxtail, mocking and playfully striking the villagers who taunt him with traditional insults.
Eventually, mattresses draped in fresh white linens and floral wreaths are laid out in the center of the road. Parents place their infants (all born within the preceding 12 months) upon the pillows. The Colacho, holding a spear and a wooden rattle, charges forward and bounds cleanly over the children in a single, acrobatic hurdle. Immediately afterward, the village priest follows behind, blessing the infants with holy water and showering them with rose petals.
Vatican Position and Cultural Preservation
While modern Catholic leadership (including former Pope Benedict XVI) has repeatedly urged Spanish clergy to distance themselves from the baby jumping practice in favor of standard baptismal fonts, the residents of Castrillo de Murcia staunchly preserve the 400-year-old heritage as an irreplaceable cultural identity.