Crazy Spanish Festival ''Tomatina''. Review on Spain, General

I would like to tell all of you regarding a strange Spanish festival which I joined recently thanks to some of my crazy friends . Well, the consented conversation with my friends went like this.

Friends : - “we are going to Bunyol a small town in spain ! , do you want to join us ?”

Me : - “Where ? why ? what for ? “

Friends :- “There is a festival of tomatoes ! which we are planning to join “.

Me : - “Tomatoes , since when did you started liking tomatoes ! well never mind . I think I will join you guys.“

I wanted to relax and Bunyol seemed like a small peaceful town with some nice folks to spend some time on a sunny day. I really don’t want to go into more details since you can read further to understand what must have happened to me afterwards.

( All I remember vaguely is that , I was completely red after the end of the day).

History

The tomato battle (''tomatina'') is one of the most popular and worldwide recognized Spanish festivals, where everyone can participate in throwing tomatoes at one another.

There exist several interpretations on the origin of this popular festival. According to some historians, its origin goes back to a ''practical joke'' that some friends wanted to play on a man who was crossing the town square singing and playing a musical instrument but, apparently, he was doing it so badly that some of the people around decided to take some tomatoes from a fruit and vegetables stall and throw them at him. Everybody else joined in to end up in a tomato battle.

However, the most reliable and historical version says that everything started in 1945. The town square (where the ''tomatina'' is traditionally held nowadays) was crowded with young people of that time to witness a ''Gigantes y Cabezudos'' parade (giant carnival figures with a grotesque head). Some of them decided to join the authority commitee and music band leading the parade and to do so they pushed the ones who were wearing the giant disguises.

One of the participants fell down and when he stood up he started beating everyone around so everybody got caught up in a fight. Fate or chance, there was a vegetable stall nearby with open crates showing the goods for sale. The young people involved in the fight took the tomatoes from the crates and started throwing them at each other until the police broke up ''the battle'', and those responsible for the riot paid for the damages.

This riot was not forgotten and the next year on the same Wednesday of August the youths of the town met again at the square, but this time with their own tomatoes. This is how another battle started and once again was stopped by the local police. In fact, in the following years the authorities forbade the celebration of what was already popularly known as the ''day of the tomatina''. Nevertheless, this celebration has been held every year since them.

The Rules

Contrary to what people may imagine , In the ''tomatina'' festival there has never been a mishap . The administration necessitates certain small civic duty tips so that the festival will go on like every year, ie. without any incidents:

-You mustn't bring in any bottles or any kind of objects which could provoke an accident.

-You mustn't tear t-shirts.

-Tomatoes must be crushed before being thrown so they can't hurt anybody.

-You must be careful with the lorries which carry the tomatoes.

-As soon as the second banger is fired, you must stop throwing tomatoes.

Given an oppurtunity , one must experience this festival . At the end of the day you will hate to look at tomatoes.