The Spanish Tomatina!

If you were in Spain, on the third Wednesday in August, you would witness the craziest, most bizarre tradition one could possibly see in Spain. Oh but wait, you might also be covered with tomatoes which are most likely to be flung on you from every which direction.

The Spanish tomato festival, known as the Tomatina, is a traditional festival, held in the Valencian town of Buñol, in which participants throw tomatoes at each other. It is held during the week of festivities at Buñol.

The first part of this sort was allowed to take place in 1950, by the council. People faced a few lows in making this event official, but finally, the Tomatina was sanctioned officially. 

Once this happened, people became very innovative with how they ‘launched’ their tomatoes. They began using water cannons and catapults. It also became common to fill the opponent’s fountains with tomatoes. In 1959, when the Tomatina was approved by the town due to local pressure, there was a rule which stated that the festivities can commence and should end, at the sound of a horn.

The festivities start at around 10am. The first event of this day is the "palo jabón", meaning greasy pole. The goal is to climb a greased pole with a ham on top. The second someone is able to drop the ham off the pole, the signal to begin the tomato fights is given. This usually happens at around 11 in the morning, and the chaos commences!

Tomatoes come in truck loads. Participants are encouraged to wear goggles and gloves. It is also essential that the tomatoes be crushed before throwing, so as to reduce the risk of injuries. The event end after exactly one hour, as the horn goes off again. The city is then hosed down by the fire trucks. Locals are provided with hoses, to get themselves cleaned as well.

This Spanish tradition has not only made it to international popularity, but it has also influenced other countries to inculcate similar traditions.

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