Granada: Dirty and greasy but with huge smiles, the small town of Baza in southern Spain celebrated its beloved and unusual festival 'The Cascamorras' with 15,000 participants on Friday.
The celebration takes place every September 6 between the Andalucian towns of Guadix and Baza, in the province of Granada, in a frenzy of black paint throwing.
History:
The tradition is believed to date back to the late 15th century when a worker from the village of Guadix found an image of the Virgin of the Piedad or forgiveness while working in a new church in Baza.
The worker wanted the image for his hometown but unsurprisingly the good folk of Baza refused.
A conflict started between the villages over the image a feud that continues until this day.
The dispute was initially resolved in court: the virgin was to stay for eternity in Baza, although if someone from Guadix managed to enter Baza and get to the church of La Merced without being daubed in paint, the image would be taken to Guadix.
The festival:
The Cascamorras is the symbolic thief a figure dressed like a harlequin as he sets off on his quest.
Meanwhile, Baza residents try to stop him, chasing and throwing paint at him through the streets of the village.
After three days, always having failed in his objective, the "Cascamorras" heads back to Guadix without the prized statue, making the locals there angry, leading to more paint throwing.
During the more than three-kilometre (two-mile) run, the Cascamorras makes various rest and refreshment stops, with participants drinking water in local fountains.
The Cascamorras sometimes lifts the flag of the Virgen de la Piedad above the heads of the people around him who get down on their knees.
The moment the Cascamorras appears in Baza, the two-hours paint battle starts. Participants rush towards the church where the Virgin of the Piedad is kept.
The festival was declared an International Tourist Interest in 2013 and draws thousands of people every year.
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