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Loading ...LA TOMATINA FESTIVAL
UNUSUAL FESTIVALS 2009
In this article, the first in a series, we feature La Tomatina Festival, held on 26 August 2009.
La Tomatina which is a tomato fight festival, is held in the small town of Bunol in the Valencia Region of Spain and ranks alongside the Pamplona Bull Run as one of Spain’s most popular events. The Festival honours the town’s patron saints of St Louis Bertrand and Mother of God the Defenceless.
First held in 1945, no one is certain how the event originated. Theories include a fight in a restaurant, attack on a carnival parade or disgruntled townsfolk attacking city councillors. Banned by General Franco, the festival was reintroduced in the 1970’s.
The week-long festival has music, dancing, fireworks and parades and culminates in a ferocious street fight with ripe tomatoes. The tomatoes are trucked in from Extremadura where they are less expensive, poor quality and grown specifically for the event. The little town’s population swelling from 9000 to 30000 on the day.
A Paella cooking contest takes place on the eve of the tomato fight and on the morning of the fight an attempt to remove a ham from the top of a greasy pole takes place. Once the ham is removed the ammunition of ripe tomatoes is released from trucks in the Plaza del Pueblo.
The Bataila is an hour long, chaotic, tomato throwing affair. The firing of a water cannon signals the end and fire trucks commence the street cleaning. Needless to say the participants are left in a sorry mess.
If you are tempted to join this madness, rules include the fact that tomatoes must be squashed before throwing and only tomatoes may be thrown! Amazingly, there has never been any kind of mishap during the battle.
Worth a visit? Do take a change of clothing with you!
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