Sneak Peek Into Spain’s Bizarre Festivals - In Pictures

Spain has a rich tradition of colourful, and sometimes bizarre, festivals. The best-known ones are in the summer, including running with bulls through the narrow streets of Pamplona or hundreds of people throwing ripe tomatoes at each other near Valencia. But some of the more obscure fiestas are no less intriguing. A look at some of Spain’s bizarre festivals…

Two small towns in Extremadura, a province west of Madrid, offer unusual winter spectacles. One involves men putting on animal hides that make them look like Chewbacca of the “Star Wars” series and another involves pelting a harlequin-type figure with raw turnips. (Image: AP)

At the Carantoñas festival in Acehuche, men are helped to pull on hairy, bulky costumes and scary masks before they walk down the streets of whitewashed houses looking like wild beasts (“carantoñas”). (Image: AP)

Women parade in colourful embroidered shawls and skirts as the music plays. A priest also attends. (Image: AP)

The Jarramplas festival, meanwhile, features a man in multi-coloured garb and a pointy wooden headgear to shield himself from turnips. (Image: AP)

Some say it's a representation of the legend of wild animals receiving Saint Sebastian following his martyrdom. (Image: AP)

A child dressed as Jarramplas during the Jarramplas festival in the tiny southwestern Spanish town of Piornal, Spain. (Image: AP)

A crowd of men in the street pelt the man with the vegetables from close range at the fiesta held annually at Piornal, 200 kilometres (125 miles) west of Madrid, over two days. (Image: AP)

People throw turnips at the Jarramplas as he makes his way through the streets beating his drum during the Jarramplas festival in the tiny southwestern Spanish town of Piornal, Spain. (Image: AP)

A man is lifted by people after playing the Jarramplas in the Spanish town of Piornal, Spain. (Image: AP)

People throw turnips at the Jarramplas as he makes his way through the streets beating his drum during the Jarramplas festival in the tiny southwestern Spanish town of Piornal, Spain. (Image: AP)

A Jarramplas mask lies on the ground before the start of the Jarramplas festival in Piornal, Spain. (Image: AP)

People throw turnips at the Jarramplas as he makes his way through the streets beating his drum during the Jarramplas festival in the tiny southwestern Spanish town of Piornal, Spain. (Image: AP)

Women dressed in traditional costumes take part in the traditional "Carantonas" festival in Acehuche, Spain. The Carantonas involves men pulling on animal hides that make them look like Chewbacca. (Image: AP)

Turnips thrown at Jarramplas are seen on the ground during the Jarramplas festival in the tiny southwestern Spanish town of Piornal, Spain. The Jarramplas festival, meanwhile, features a man in multicoloured garb and pointy wooden headgear to shield himself from turnips. A crowd of men in the street pelt the man with the vegetables from close range at the fiesta held annually at Piornal, 200 kilometres west of Madrid, over two days.
(Image: AP)

Men prepare themselves before taking part at "Las Carantonas" festival in Acehuche, Spain.
(Image: AP)

People in traditional costumes take part in the traditional "Las Carantonas" festival in Acehuche, Spain. (Image: AP)

Traditional costumes hang before taking part in the traditional "Las Carantonas" festival in Acehuche, Spain. (Image: AP)

A mask of "Las Carantonas" is displayed prior of a festival in Acehuche, Spain.
(Image: AP)

A man is dressed as "Las Carantonas" before taking part in a festival in Acehuche, Spain. (Image: AP)

A woman dressed in traditional costume watches from a balcony the traditional "Carantonas" festival in Acehuche, Spain. (Image: AP)