DIABLOS Y MASCARITAS
Every February, the sound of dozens of cattle bells bounces through the winding streets of Luzón (Guadalajara): it signals the arrival of the Diablos.
Coated in a mixture of oil and soot, they chase any visitor who has not covered their face to smear them with the ointment.
Aware of the danger, the women of the village wear a cloth with three holes to see and breathe, and thus avoid the attack of the demons.
Although the origin of the festival is not clear, and there is no consensus on the legend behind the rite, Javier López (76), a native of Luzón and responsible for the revival of the festival, which disappeared for 20 years during the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, relates it to Celtiberian rituals held at the spring equinox to celebrate the fertility of the land and the end of winter.
Luzón, Guadalajara (Spain)
February 10th 2024
