 "Spain’s ‘tomato throwing’ festival turns 80. How humble 'Tomatina' went global")
People in Spain are getting ready to paint the town red — literally. Thousands of people are set to engage in a tomato food fight on the 80th anniversary of a famous Spanish festival.
The ‘Tomatina’ tomato street fight, as it is known, is set to take place in the town of Buñol in Valencia, which is home to around 9,000 people.
However, as many as 22,000 people are said to participate in the festival.
The ‘Tomatina’ tomato street fight, as it is known, is set to take place in the town of Buñol in Valencia, which is home to around 9,000 people.
However, as many as 22,000 people are said to participate in the festival.
Here’s what we know about ‘Tomatina’
What we know
Already, 120 tonnes of overripe tomatoes have been brought to the town. It costs non-locals $17.50 (Rs 1,532) for a ticket. Many arrive from nearby towns or even other country. and arrive from countries across the globe or cities a bus ride away.
“When it’s going on, it’s just a blur of tomatoes,” said Adrian Columb of Ireland, who attended the event 1999. “It was a blast.”
But how did it begin you may ask? The event is traditionally held on the last Wednesday of August. It all started in 1945 when a food fight broke out between local children.
The event caught on quickly. However, it was banned in the 1950s by Spanish dictator Francisco Franco. The decision did not go down well with local. However it was reinstated after Franco’s death. It was TV and media attention in the 1980s that turned the spotlight on Tomatina. Tourists from all around the world started flocking in to enjoy the event.
In 2002, Spain officially recognised Tomatina as an international tourism attraction. The event has been held every year since then barring 2020 and 2021 during the Coronavirus pandemic
‘Tomatoes won’t be cultivated’
For anyone worrying about waste, there’s no need. Those in the know say that these tomatoes aren grown specifically for the festival. The tomatoes thrown aren’t from crops treated like those used for food, Buñol Deputy Mayor Sergio Galarza said. “If ‘Tomatina’ didn’t exist, these tomatoes wouldn’t be cultivated because there wouldn’t be a need for them,” Galarza added.
This year’s tomatoes are coming from Don Benito, a town over 5 hours away.
How does it work?
It’s simple. There are no teams, no points and no referees.
However, participants are told to squash the tomatoes before throwing them. Also, don’t throw anything else. Still, people use swimming goggles and earplugs for protection. And for good reason.
Columb said a friend received two black eyes in 1999. “But I know he’s kind of tall, so maybe he was a target,” Columb added.
“You finish exhausted,” said Galarza, who grew up going to the festival before becoming its chief councilor. “Your arms are worn out, everything is worn out from moving and launching it all.”
The mash of projectiles leaves attendees “up to your ankles deep in this tomato puree,” Columb added.
Once the hour is up, marked by the sound of a cannon shot, crowds shuffle to wash off at nearby communal showers while the town’s streets are hosed. Though the stains on clothes are likely irreversible, the citric acid in the tomatoes acts as an effective cleaning agent on the pavement. Three to four hours later, the streets are sometimes left cleaner than before.
Tomato festivals in other countries
Tomatina has served as an inspiration for other countries .
Similar tomato-flinging festivals have taken place in Florida, London, Amsterdam, the Colombian town of Sutamarchán and, most recently, Hyderabad, India.
Still, for Galarza, a native of the festival’s original location, “Tomatina” is synonymous with Buñol, he said.
“The truth is that it’s exciting because year after year, you can see how ‘Tomatina’ grows and evolves,” Galarza said, “and you can enjoy a festival that is super wholesome.”
With inputs from AP
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