I\u2019m starting to believe that there are celebrations for any random reason in the world. Bearing that in mind, it won\u2019t sound so strange that in Spain we celebrate one with tomatoes. It consists in just that: people throwing tomatoes at each other.\u00a0 However, the tomatoes are crushed before being thrown, so you don\u2019t hurt the target.<\/p>\n
The Tomatina in Bu\u00f1ol has become so famous that even in China they have tried to replicate it. Last August 25th, over 45,000 people from all over the world gathered together in that village from Valencia to throw 100,000 kilos of ripe tomatoes at each other. Some of them got up really early to enjoy a whole day of partying, and others had dark rings under the eyes, sign that they didn\u2019t have a full night\u2019s sleep, probably for the same reason. This year it was even more special, since the producers of a Bollywood movie took advantage of the occasion to shoot some scenes that will be part of the blockbuster \u201cYou only live once\u201d; also a committee from the Korean government came over to gather information for their own version of this celebration. Amazing.<\/p>\n
For about an hour, after hearing the sound of a really loud firework, a battle takes place that will leave both locals and visitors covered in tomato from head to toe. The sound of a second firework will mark the end of the party. Cleaning then starts, which will leave the town spotless thanks to the natural acidity from the tomatoes. It\u2019s funny when you think that this large celebration started as a prank, or at least that\u2019s what they say. I\u2019ll tell you how: around 1945, during a \u201cGiants and Big-Heads\u201d festivity, a local young boy tried to take part in the parade, but he was not allowed to. He got so angry that he started a fight that ended up as a whole battle. Just by chance, in the same square where the fracas took place there was a produce stall, and the young fighters started using vegetables as ammunition. They must have had quite a good time in such an unusual combat, because the following year they organized the whole thing again, this time each bringing their own tomatoes from home. It was banned for a few years, but the locals still gathered together to do it. In 1957, facing a strict ban from the town hall, they celebrated \u201cthe burial of the tomato\u201d, staging a funeral procession and carrying a coffin with a big tomato inside. This comical form of protest caught on, and two years later the Tomatina started again, reaching its status today as a Feast of International Touristic Interest in Spain.<\/p>\n
In order to take part, you have to follow a few basic rules:<\/p>\n
Do not carry any bottles or objects that can cause injury.<\/p>\n
Do not tear other people\u2019s t-shirts.<\/p>\n
Crush the tomatoes before hurling them so that nobody gets hurt.<\/p>\n
Facilitate the work of cleaning trucks.<\/p>\n
Respect the start and stop fireworks.<\/p>\n
I guess that we should add to this list a good aim, and a willingness to have a great time. And I used to think tomatoes were only good for gazpacho\u2026<\/p>\n
See you soon, my friends!<\/p>\n
by aaroncorey<\/a><\/p>\n Empiezo a creer que en el mundo hay fiestas por todo, y para todo. As\u00ed que no es de extra\u00f1ar que en Espa\u00f1a celebremos una a \u201ctomatazo limpio\u201d. Porque justo de eso se trata: una enorme multitud de gente tir\u00e1ndose tomates los unos a los otros. Eso si, el tomate se espachurra antes de lanzarse, para no hacer da\u00f1o al contrario.<\/p>\n La Tomatina de Bu\u00f1ol ha conseguido tal fama, que incluso en China han intentado exportar esta especial celebraci\u00f3n. Seg\u00fan las noticias, el pasado 25 de agosto se congregaron m\u00e1s de 45.000 personas de todo el mundo en la localidad valenciana para arrojarse unos 100.000 kilos de tomates maduros. Algunos, madrugadores para disfrutar de un buen d\u00eda de fiesta, y otros con ojeras de no haber dormido demasiado, posiblemente por la misma causa. Este a\u00f1o ha sido incluso m\u00e1s especial, ya que las c\u00e1maras de Bollywood aprovecharon para rodar secuencias que incorporar\u00e1n a una superproducci\u00f3n, \u201cSolo se vive una vez\u201d, y una delegaci\u00f3n del gobierno de Corea vino a recopilar informaci\u00f3n, para una celebraci\u00f3n propia. Incre\u00edble.<\/p>\n Durante una hora, tras escuchar el sonido de la carcasa, comienza el combate que dejar\u00e1 tanto a vecinos como a visitantes totalmente cubiertos de trozos de tomate. Eso si, la juerga terminar\u00e1 con el segundo disparo de la carcasa. Comienzan entonces las tareas de limpieza, dejando la ciudad limpia como una patena gracias a la acidez del tomate. Es curioso pensar que esta multitudinaria fiesta se inici\u00f3 por una gamberrada, o eso dicen. Os cuento: all\u00e1 por el a\u00f1o 1945, en una fiesta de \u201cGigantes y Cabezudos\u201d, un joven intent\u00f3 participar en la cabalgata, pero no se lo permitieron. Esto lo enfad\u00f3 sobremanera, haciendo que comenzase una pelea que termin\u00f3 siendo una batalla campal. Dio la casualidad que en la plaza en que se produjo el altercado, hab\u00eda un puestecillo de verduras, y los j\u00f3venes comenzaron a arrojarse las mismas como si fuesen munici\u00f3n. Se ve que pasaron un buen rato en tan inusual combate, porque al a\u00f1o siguiente organizaron otra batalla, esta vez llevando cada uno los tomates de casa. Durante algunos a\u00f1os se prohibi\u00f3, aunque los vecinos acud\u00edan de forma espont\u00e1nea a celebrarla. En 1957, ante la tajante negativa del Ayuntamiento a permitirla, se celebr\u00f3 un \u201centierro del tomate\u201d, desfile f\u00fanebre portando un ata\u00fad con un gran tomate dentro. Esta c\u00f3mica protesta hizo que desde un par de a\u00f1os m\u00e1s tarde se celebre anualmente, siendo hoy d\u00eda Fiesta de Inter\u00e9s Tur\u00edstico Internacional.<\/p>\n Para participar, solo hay que seguir unas cuantas reglas b\u00e1sicas:<\/p>\n No llevar botellas ni objetos que puedan causar accidentes.<\/p>\n No romper camisetas.<\/p>\n Aplastar los tomates antes de lanzarlos para no hacer da\u00f1o a nadie.<\/p>\n Estar atentos al paso de los camiones que limpiar\u00e1n las calles y a los asistentes.<\/p>\n Respetar el inicio y el fin de la \u201cguerra\u201d.<\/p>\n E imagino que a todo esto habr\u00e1 que sumar una buena punter\u00eda, y ganas de pasarlo bien. Y yo que pensaba que con un tomate solo se pod\u00eda hacer un buen gazpacho\u2026<\/p>\n \u00a1Hasta muy pronto amigos!<\/p>\n