Festivals Today [Amano Writing Club]
When I was a child, festivals meant stalls set up at shrines, a scaffold being built, and everyone dancing the Bon Odori. They were basically small-scale, and I didn't have an image of them being large or anything like that.
Once I reached adulthood, the internet became widespread, and when footage of festivals from around the world started appearing on TV, I saw some fun-looking ones.
Especially this one, the tomato-throwing festival in Spain.
Spain's "La Tomatina" is world-famous.
Below, I have summarized it for clarity!
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🍅 What is La Tomatina?
• Location: Buñol, a town in the province of Valencia, Spain
• When: The last Wednesday of August every year
• Content: A major event where all participants throw ripe tomatoes at each other throughout the town
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🍅 Why did it start?
The origin is not entirely clear, but a commonly cited theory is...
• Around 1945, a fight between young people during a town event escalated, and they threw tomatoes at each other
• The commotion was found amusing, and people started imitating it in the following years,
gradually leading to it being established as an "official event."
That is the story.
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🍅 How is it carried out?
1. Large quantities of tomatoes are brought into the town center by truck
2. At the signal to start, the tomato throwing begins all at once!
3. For about an hour, everyone throws them while getting covered in red
4. When it's over, the town and the people are washed clean with fire hoses, etc.
The tomatoes used are "processed/substandard" ones that cannot be shipped as food, so consideration is given to the debate about whether it is a waste of food.
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🍅 Are there rules?
Yes, there are. Even though it looks chaotic, it is actually quite strict.
• Always crush the tomatoes before throwing them at people (to prevent injury)
• Do not tear or remove clothing
• Follow the start and end signals
• Only throw tomatoes
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🍅 Is it popular with tourists?
It is so popular that participants gather from all over the world and it requires tickets.
Buñol is a small town, but on this day alone, it becomes a festival frenzy with several times its population pouring in.
I see, so there are strict rules. I was just about to throw a tomato out the window. That was a close one.
Amano Writing Club, I look forward to working with you again this week.