Entertainment in Castilla LeOn

Festivals

El Colacho (Sun after Corpus Christi, May/June), Castillo de Murcia (Burgos) - Babies born during the previous 12 months are dressed in their best Sunday clothes and laid on mattresses in the streets. Crowds of people, including the anxious parents, watch as El Colacho - a man dressed in a bright red and yellow costume - jumps over the babies in order to free them from illnesses, especially hernias. He is said to represent the devil fleeing from the sight of the Eucharist. This ritual is thought to have originated in 1621.

St Agatha's Day (Sunday closest to 5 February), Zamarramala (Segovia) - Every year two women are elected as mayoresses to run the village on the day of St Agatha, patron saint of married women. They ceremonially burn a stuffed figure representing a man.

Good Friday, Valladolid - The procession of 28 multicoloured sculptures which depict various scenes of the Passion is one of the most spectacular in Spain.

Fire-walking (23 June), San Pedro Manrique (Soria) - Men, some carrying people on their backs, walk barefoot over burning embers. It is said the only local people can do this without being burned.

To find out more about entertainment in Spain choose a region from the list below.

entertainment

To find out more about local festivities and entertainment in Spain choose the region you are interested in from the list at the bottom of the page.

If you know of a particularly interesting or unusual festivity somewhere that hasn't been mentioned here, please let us know by sending us an email to info@spanish-living.com.