Stand aside Harry Potter, blazing brooms light up Spanish festival

Processions of people wielding flaming brooms may sound like something out of magic tales, but those used to light up a Spanish town every year are the real thing – and there is no witchcraft involved, just fun.

Every year on Dec. 7, the inhabitants of Jarandilla de la Vera, a town in western Spain about 200 km (124 miles) west of Madrid, set bundles of twigs on fire and playfully hit each other on the legs in a festival known as Los Escobazos (the broom strikes).

"This celebration represents the best (feeling) for us. All the sadness you had in your body and didn't know how to get rid of, you leave it here with the fire," local resident Vicente Berrocosa told Reuters on Saturday.

The fiery festival is celebrated on the eve of the Catholic feast known as the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. It is believed to have originated with shepherds coming from the hills using blazing brooms to light their way.

"We play with fire as if we were playing with water. For us, fire is a symbol of purity. Nothing happens, we hit each other and we don't get hurt, we don't get burned. It's wonderful!" said another resident, Jesus Ferino.

Reuters