La Tamborrada, Por Favor!

If you’re planning on visiting the lazy, laid back town of San Sebastian in Spain, you might need to take your ear plugs with you.

The town which is otherwise a sleepy town comes alive to the sound of a thousand beating drums on this day.

Yes, you read it right! Thousands of beating drums all day and night! Spain has always been known for its outrageous festivals. (Remember the La Tomatina!)

But this one just takes the cake!

The parade begins on the evening of 19^th January at the Plaza de la Constitution and goes on till midnight the next day, in honor of their patron saint, the Donostia of San Sebastian. What you get to see is a parade of uniformed marchers through the streets of San Sebastian, beating on their drums. Loud, eh?

There is a brief break in the parade around dawn the next day. And we do mean brief. Lasts long enough for everyone to take a quick swig of brandy and a bite of churros. (Deep fried dough sweet snack dusted with sugar!)

Each team of marchers represents the various gastronomic societies of San Sebastian. We must tell you, it is a very intense competition!

The origin of this festival dates back to 1720, where rumor has it that a baker while filling barrels of water from a fountain began singing. A bunch of girls nearby began beating their own barrels as accompaniment.

That evolved into this marvelous festival you see today!

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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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¡buen provecho!

Since Spain is surrounded by beaches on all sides, Spanish food comprises of a lot of seafood. Olive oil and garlic also have very strong influences in Spanish cuisine.

The most well known Spanish dishes are Paella, Spanish omelet and Gazpacho. In Spain, food is seen as a way of re-uniting and connecting with families and loved ones. As opposed to most countries, the Spanish have dinner very late. Most restaurants and families set their dinner table only after 9pm! This will be a very useful tip if you decide to visit Spain.

Eating late has become a norm for Spaniards due to the very famous tradition of eating in the evening – Tapas. In comparison to other European countries, the Spanish rarely eat salads. They use a potatoes, beans and mushrooms in large quantities in most dishes.

Sangria is a popular refreshing drink that is highly popular in a number of places. It is a mixture of red wine and a fresh fruit punch.

In the spirit of embracing the Spanish language, you can take it further by learning Spanish forms of dance! Salsa is gaining a lot of popularity among people. Not only is it fun, but also a great way to stay in shape!

ELTIS-SIFL starts Spanish classes on the 22nd of February, 2011. They also conduct Project Displays which help the student research and educate others on the culture and traditions in Spain. Dance your way into them!

Español

SPAIN

Capital – Madrid

Population - 46,030,109

Currency - € Euro

Religion – Roman Catholicism

I would term Spanish as one of the most passionate languages. It isn’t as smooth as French, but is definitely beautiful to hear. Most of the European languages are a little easier to learn as opposed to the Asian languages that possess an entirely different script. Spanish has the same phonology or sound system as Italian. European languages have a number of similarities integrated in between each other – thus, once you learn one European language, it isn’t that hard to follow the others.

Spanish culture has been deeply influenced by a plethora of great painters that it has possessed - Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso to name a few. The rushes of images that often take over our mind when we think of Spain are flamboyant flamenco dancers, matadors, beautiful beaches and maybe Juan from Mind Your Language constantly repeating his “por favor”. Spanish culture is endless and it is essential that you read about its architecture and history to grasp the gist of the language as a whole.

Often, learning a new language will make you realize that certain things about it helped you learn to express yourself in various ways - ways you never thought you could. Also, when you visit a country and are fairly fluent in the language, it shows a lot of respect towards the natives. It widens your horizons and gives you an edge over a huge percentage of people. You find yourself translating everything in that particular language. That’s when you know you’re doing very well. Honestly, it makes you feel quite awesome!

ELTIS is offering Spanish classes at flexible timings starting from the 21st of February this month. They have presentations on Spain that is put together by native speakers that are studying in the English Proficiency course. This way, students are able to interact and help each other out. Questions about the culture and language are answered in great detail – making for a truly enjoyable learning experience!