El Colacho, or ‘The Devil,’ was one of the oddest festivals celebrated in the small village of Castrillo de Murcia in northern Spain. It took place around mid-June every year when the ‘devils,’ dressed in yellow costumes, jumped over babies lying on mattresses in the streets. While no clear history or origins were known for this ritual, it was said that Pope Gregory XV approved the festival in 1621. The festival was the highlight of the ‘Corpus Christi festivities week,’ where parents and tourists gathered to watch the chaotic jumps. Parents brought their babies born in the past year and arran…