Town goes viral after celebrating bizarre, turnip-throwing festival

15:28 - 21 January 2016

Hundreds of people have been running through the streets of a tiny town in southwestern Spain, chasing a fancy-dressed, beast-like figure and pelting it with turnips.

Hundreds of people have been running through the streets of a tiny town in southwestern Spain, chasing a fancy-dressed, beast-like figure and pelting it with turnips. Yahoo news reported.

A root vegetable grown in spain, the turnip festival is a yearly tradition where a town volunteer puts on a costume of multicolored ribbons and a protective devilish mask with horns.

He then charged through the streets, beating a drum until he couldn't stand the punishment anymore.

Local farmers supplied some 18 tons of turnips for the festival. Its origins are uncertain but the local tourism office says the masquerade 'Jarramplas' figure represents a cattle thief.

Others say it has religious roots.

The turnip or white turnip (Brassica rapa subsp. rapa) is a root vegetable commonly grown in temperate climates worldwide for its white, bulbous taproot.

Spain is know for its weird and bizarre festivals including the tomato festival and the annual clitoris festival.