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Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara has given us many travel goals by becoming the poster movie for the quintessential Spain adventure. As the trio in the film traverse the cities and coasts of Spain, we follow their journey with interest and their quick detour to Buñol, near Valencia, introduced many of us to the amazing La Tomatina Festival. As thousands descend on this city for a day of fun on the last Wednesday in August, there is also a fun story about how this tomato festival is celebrated in Spain.
While there’s no official word on how this festival began, some stories trace its origins back to 1945. The parade of giants and big bosses culminates in a massive brawl, with both sides picking up anything and everything as a makeshift weapon. Some preserved tomatoes on a vegetable cart that people also used to their advantage, and the rest is history. While the festival was briefly banned, it was reinstated by popular demand (and some protests).
However, Spain’s biggest food fight sees the sleepy town of Bunol, with a population of around 10,000, swell by the thousands. While earlier the number of people attending the event was capped at around 45,000, tickets for the crowd control event are now issued to 20,000 each year.
Some stories trace the origin of this slushy festival to 1945. Photo: Shutterstock
The fun begins
La Tomatina has a host of delightful traditions and rituals that make it an unforgettable experience. The party begins with “Palo Japon,” a farcical contest where participants scramble up a slippery pole to grab a tantalizing pork loin suspended from the top. Once the ham is snatched (or not, it doesn’t matter for long), the game begins! Trucks full of ripe tomatoes roll onto the streets, and the tomato fight begins.
But hold your horses, there are rules in this exciting mess. Crushing tomatoes before throwing them is the name of the game to reduce injuries. And before launching a tomato-torpedo, it is customary to shout “Tomat!” to alert your target. For one hour, the streets went into a tomato frenzy, literally painting the city red.
For one hour every year, the streets of Buñol witness an intense tomato-falling frenzy. Image: shutterstock
After an hour-long tomato frenzy, the streets are cleaned up by fire engines, while travelers find water in the nearby Bunol River or a few kind locals help splash it before heading home.
La Tomatina isn’t just an annual festival; It is the perfect example of the Spanish enthusiasm for life and adventure. While there have been regular concerns about food waste, this food festival continues to attract travelers to Spain, year after year.
La Tomatina 2023: August 30th
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