Piornal, Spain, Jan 12, 2020 / 05:00 am
Every year on the feast of St. Sebastian, a young man from the Spanish village of Piornal dons a suit covered in colorful strips of cloth, He puts on a large, coned-shaped monster mask, and a head covering with long horns - along with plenty of protective gear underneath.
Once dressed, the monster, called Jarramplas, parades through village streets to be pummeled with tons of turnips- quite literally- chucked with gusto by his fellow villagers.
At the end of the two-day beating, which concludes annually on the feast of St. Sebastian, the Jarramplas and the whole village attend Mass and then a celebratory meal.
As soon as Jarramplas removes his mask, the young man underneath is celebrated as a hero by his turnip-wielding antagonizers.