Jarramplas

The Jarramplas event is a popular festival celebrated annually in the town of Piornal, located in the region of Extremadura, Spain. This festival takes place on January 19th and 20th and involves a parade featuring the character of Jarramplas, a man dressed in colorful costumes with a wooden mask covering his head.

The origins of this festival date back to the Middle Ages when the inhabitants of Piornal fought against the Muslim invaders. According to legend, Jarramplas represented a traitor who had helped the invaders and was punished by the villagers. Since then, the people of Piornal have been reenacting this representation every year to commemorate their fight against the invaders. During the parade, Jarramplas carries two large cowbells and walks through the streets of the town while being hit by villagers with turnips.

If you have the opportunity to visit Extremadura in January, I highly recommend not to miss the Jarramplas event in Piornal. Seeing Jarramplas walking through the streets while being hit with turnips is an impressive spectacle, and the vegetable rain in the main square is something you cannot miss.

By Ignacio García