Residents of a Spanish town pelted a devil-like character portrayed by a young man with thousands of rock-hard turnips in a tradition that aims to drive away evil. The centuries-old festival of Jarramplas is celebrated every January 19 and 20 in the western village of Piornal, home to around 1,500 people. Portraying the "Jarramplas" -- especially on the second day of the festival -- is considered such an honour that there is a waiting list of 21 years. Each year, several young men are selected to take turns to dress up as the devil-like character by wearing a costume made from colourful strips of fabric with body armour underneath, and a mask with great horns.
As they walk the streets and beat a drum, hundreds of villagers repeatedly hurl turnips at them from close range. The exact origin of the festival is not known, although various theories exist.
One widely accepted one is that the "Jarramplas" represents a cattle thief who was once punished by local residents. The tradition has come to symbolise the expulsion of everything bad.
