wichita.edu
… incident occurred on Pentecost, a day when, according to local custom, all the townspeople would gather for a solemn horseback procession. This was done to bless the surrounding fields against storms caused by demons and Satan, with a priest performing the blessing. As part of the custom, after the blessing was completed, there would be a race in a narrow, …
https://www.wichita.edu/academics/fairmount_las/geology/wparcell/Kircher/Autobiography/Kircher_autobiography.php