How the Tomatina de Buñol is celebrated

One of the best-known Spanish festivals is the Tomatina de Buñol, a battle in which neighbors and tourists engage in a clean shot. Year after year, the last Wednesday of August takes place this war with red vegetables that stain the streets of Bunyol (this is the name of the city in Catalan). The origin of La Tomatina goes back to 1945 and was spontaneous when young people from the village used tomatoes from a stand to attack their opponents during a fight . Before the massive assistance of the last years, in 2013 the need to acquire tickets to participate in the Tomatina has been implemented. If you also want to throw tomatoes to anyone who stands in front of you, do not miss this article about how Tomatina de Buñol is celebrated.

The soap stick

Before starting the pitched battle with tomato, it is necessary to pass a test. This is the "palo soap", a game similar to the cucañas in which a soapy stick is placed with a ham on its top. Around 10 o'clock in the morning, the participants will have to climb up the pole and reach the pork leg, until the ham is caught, the tomatina does not start.

While the buñolenses and relatives try to reach the succulent goal, the crowd is crowded in the square and joyful chants begin that are warming the atmosphere.

The battle

The cries of "tomato, tomato" call for the war to start, but it will not be until the carcass sounds - a bomb or firecracker - at around 11 in the morning, when the Tomatina will begin. The truckloads of tomatoes, cultivated expressly for this party in the town of Castellón de Chilches (Xilxes, in Valencian), will then begin to appear, and ... silly last!

All the participants will strive to get their hands on the tomatoes to throw them -previously squashed! - against friends, acquaintances, strangers and whoever stands in front of them. With this rain of vegetables, the euphoria invades the streets of Bunyol that are dyed red and even they are forming rivers of tomato juice for which some swim and dive.

The retreat

After about an hour and after having emptied about five trucks of tomatoes, it is time to end the Tomatina . The second shell will mark the end of the battle and everyone should stop throwing tomatoes. Participants then look for a hose, fountain or any other place with water to wash and remove all the tomato that covers their skin.

Likewise, the municipal services helped by the neighbors begin the task of cleaning the city; In a matter of two hours, everything returns to normal and the countdown to the next Tomatina begins.

Entry

In order to control the number of participants, since the 2013 edition, the City Council of Buñol has decided to restrict participation through the purchase of tickets . To do this, people who do not reside in this locality, must buy tickets at the price of € 10 (with a limit of 15, 000 people) and have reserved 5, 000 free tickets for the inhabitants of Bunyol. You can find out on the Tomatina de Buñol website.

recommendations

If you have loved this idea of ​​making a war of tomatoes and you decide to go to the Tomatina, you should take into account some recommendations and obligations that the City Council of Buñol makes for the party to develop normally.

  • Do not enter bottles or hard objects.
  • Do not break or throw shirts .
  • Crush tomatoes before throwing; the blow will be less forceful.
  • Keep a safe distance with the trucks .
  • Stop throwing tomatoes when you hear the shot of the second casing .

Tips
  • Wear comfortable and old clothing, as it is likely to end in poor condition.
  • Girls are recommended to wear swimsuits or sports tops under their clothing, as some are dedicated to tear off shirts and pants.
  • Do not wear flip-flops, but rather closed shoes that you do not have much esteem for.
  • Some diving glasses do not come badly, the tomato is quite annoying in the eyes.
  • Try not to carry anything in your pockets (wallets, keys, cell phones ...) or valuables (watch, jewelry, etc).