The Tomato Fights of Valencia
The biggest food fight in the world happens only in the town of Bunol, Valencia during August every year. Around 30,000 from all over Spain and the world flock to this town just to throw at each other more than two hundred thousand pounds of tomatoes that are dumped from the backs of huge trucks.
The festival starts with a contest where players race up a pole to get a smoked leg of a spanish hamon its end. When it is brought down, the people put on goggles to protect their eyes and then shout for the tomato throwing to commence. The trucks that carry the massive amounts of tomatoes go around the streets while dumping their squishy cargo. The people then go crazy and start throwing tomatoes at each other until there is nothing left to throw. This festival usually occurs on the last Wednesday of august and it is simply a town wide tomato fight that escalated into large proportions when the rest of the world found out how much fun it was. Legend has it that this tradition started in 1945 when a fight erupted between two young people who were attending the carnival in the town square. The festival brings in so much tourists that the government gives their total support for this activity. The following year, a different group of young people came together at the square and started a tomato fight using their own tomatoes that they brought. Many copycats followed suit but was prevented by the local police and eventually it was banned.
The people could not get enough of the tomato fights and they clamoured for it to be brought back. The government relented due to popular demand and it was officially recognized in 1959. It is also advisable to have protection for important body parts because you might never know what will happen. A shockproof and waterproof camera is great for the memories and take with you some pain medication too. If you do plan to join the festival, bring with a good pair of goggles for eye protection and enjoy everything. It is best that you wear or rattiest or least favourite clothing so that you can just throw them away after the festival. It is also advisable to have protection for important body parts because you might never know what will happen. Other things that you can take with you are a waterproof and shockproof camera for the memories and some pain medication. Tomatoes are soft and squishy but someone you hate might actually be at the festival to probably seek a "legal" kind of revenge on you. And after all of this, you not only get wonderful memories but you will also get better skin as tomatoes are well known for being great antioxidants.
When you are in Spain, don't forget to try also their famous acorn cured hams.
About the Author
As a writer I get my articles in various internet sites, cook books, travel books, encyclopedias, and I look deep into my family tradition in order for me to write something really interesting.
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