Strange Celebrations 4: Tomato War in Buñol

The annual tomato fights in Buñol keep the cameras of the international media pointed at them. Together with the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, ​​it attracts visitors and participants from all over the world. It has become a Spanish phenomenon. The Tomatina, as the party is officially called, is the battleground of tens of thousands of 'pugilists' every last Wednesday in August, whose weapons are only tomatoes. About 160 tons of overripe tomatoes are at their disposal. The intention is oh so simple. Pelt everything and everyone with tomatoes, so that the opponents are literally and figuratively in the mash.

The tomato war (the largest in the world) is also short-lived. The intense battles start at 11:00 AM and end an hour later. The organizers know from experience that that is enough time to chase through the entire arsenal of weapons. In addition, throwing tomatoes for an hour is apparently enough to calm the adrenaline levels somewhat.

Due to the growing enthusiasm for the Tomatina, buses with 'tomato soldiers' travel from all over the world to Buñol. For example, at 4:00 am the bus leaves Torrevieja for the battlefield, 39 kilometers from Valencia. These organized trips include a return ticket, proof of participation and a Tomatina T-shirt. Buses also leave from Alicante, Benidorm, La Manga, Cartagena, Madrid and Barcelona in the early hours.

Since 2013, the Tomatina has also been on the program for children between 4 and 14 years old. The mini fights last between 30 and 40 minutes.

The question remains which idiot, or perhaps which person with foresight to promote the town, came up with the idea for the tomato war. Well, we have to hold a handful of ballerina youths responsible for that. They stole some tomatoes from a vegetable shed in 1945 and started pelting a local parade with giant dolls. They were punished, but repeated their ballistic behavior the following year. And so a tradition was born.

Finally, a word of caution. If you are slightly allergic to the color red, please do NOT view the photos below.