The document summarizes some unusual traditions from around the world. It describes a Spanish tradition called El Colacho where men dressed as devils jump over babies to celebrate Corpus Christi. It also mentions the Mourning of Muharram, a Shia Muslim ritual commemorating the death of Imam Hussein. Another tradition discussed is the Indian practice of tossing babies into the air and catching them on a blanket. The final tradition mentioned is sky burial, a funeral practice where corpses are left on mountaintops to decompose naturally.
2. EL
Colacho
Baby jumping (El Colacho) is a
traditional Spanish holiday dating
back to 1620 that takes place
annually to celebrate the Catholic
feast of Corpus Christi in the
village of Castrillo de Murcia near
Burgos
During the act, known as El Salto
del Colacho (the devil's jump) or
simply El Colacho, men dressed as
the Devil (known as the
Colacho) jump over babies born
during the previous twelve months
of the year who lie on mattresses in
the street.
3. The morning of Muharram
The Mourning of Muharram, Remembrance of Muharram,is a set of rituals associated
with Shia Islam, which takes place in Muharram.Many of the events associated with the
ritual take place in congregation halls known as Hussainia.
The event marks the anniversary of the Battle of Karbala when Imam Hussein ibn Ali, the
grandson of Muhammad, and a Shia Imam, was killed by the forces of the
second Umayyad caliph Yazid I at Karbala. Family members, accompanying Hussein ibn
Ali, were killed or subjected to humiliation.
7. Sky burial is a funeral practice in which a human
corpse is placed on a mountaintop to decompose
while exposing to the elements or to be eaten by
scavenging animals, especially birds of prey. It is a
specific type of the general practice of excarnation.
