The ancestral, traditional, local character, Juan Pelotero returns to the streets of Calasparra tomorrow for the annual Day of the Innocents ( similar to our April Fool´s Day):
Juan Pelotero is a popular traditional character with origins in the XV century who roams the streets on December 28 with his gang: “The Innocents”.
The Innocents are made up of a clerk, a judge and a jailor. They carry a baton, an old book and a turkey plume as symbols of their authority in the town and which they use to “fine” people for whatever offence occurs to them.
Juan Pelotero has his face painted blue and moves around brandishing a stick with a ball of rags attached to the point (the “ball” which means “pelota” in Spanish gives him his name).
The rules of the game are basically that any unfortunate resident caught by the troupe can pay them to hit someone else. The nominated victim must pay more money in order not to be attacked and in order to return the “pelatazo” (blow with the ball of rags) back to the person who nominated him/her.
