La Tomatina

LA TOMATINA
What is La Tomatina?
 La Tomatina is a festival that is held in the Valencian

town of Buñol, in the east of Spain 30 kilometers from
the Mediterranean, which participants throw tomatoes
and get involved in a tomato fight purely for
entertainment purposes.
 Since 1945 it has been held on the last Wednesday of

August, during a week of festive in Buñol.
HISTORY OF LA TOMATINA
 Started last Wednesday of August in 1945; some young people

spent time in the town square to attend the Giants and Big-Heads
figures parade. The young people decided to take part in a
parade with musicians, Giants and Big-Heads figures. One
participant’s Big-Head fell off, as a result of the festivities. The
participant flew into a fit of rage, and began hitting everything in
their path. There was a market stall of vegetables that fell victim
to the fury of the crowd, as people started to pelt each other
with tomatoes until the local forces ended the fruit battle.
 The following year, some young people engaged in a pre-planned quarrel and
brought their own tomatoes from home. Although the local forces broke it up,
this began the yearly tradition. In the following years, the boy’s example was
followed by thousands of people.
 La Tomatina was banned in the early 1950’s by Francisco Franco due to the
festival’s lack of religious importance, however, this did not stop the
participants, who were arrested. The people protested the prohibition and the
festival was again allowed with more participants.
 The festivity was again canceled until 1957 when, as a sign of protest, a tomato
burial was held. It was demonstration in which the residents carried a coffin with
a huge tomato inside.The parade was accompanied by a music band that played
funeral marches.
 The protest was successful, and La Tomatina Festival was finally permitted and
became an official festival.
DESCRIPTION
 Events during the days before the fight include a paella
contest near the town’s square, tomato fireworks, and
different music bands and parades around the medieval
city center. On Wednesday morning, the first event
before the tomato battle is the “Palo Jabon”, centered
on a long greased pole with a piece of ham at its top.
The goal is for participants to climb the pole and make
the ham drop, which requires them to climb on each
other. During this effort, other celebrants sing and
dance in circles, and all participants are doused with
water from hoses. Once the ham falls, the tomato
battle commences.
Usually,
 the fight lasts for about one hour,
after which the town square is covered
with tomato debris. Fire trucks then hose
down the streets and participants often
use hoses that locals provide to remove
the tomatoes from their bodies. Some
participants go to the Los Peñones pool to
wash. The citric acid in the tomatoes leads
to the washed surfaces in the town
becoming very clean.
LIST OF INSTUCTIONS
 1. Do not throw anything but tomatoes.
 2. Do not tear clothes.
 3. Squash tomatoes before throwing them to avoid hurting
others.
 4. Keep a safe distance from trucks.
 5. Stop throwing tomatoes after the second starter pistol shot.
 6. Follow the direction of security staff.
 7. Only throw tomatoes at targets you can see to avoid hurting
others.
 8. Do not throw tomatoes directly at buildings.
The city council prescribes this short list for the safety of the
participants and the festival.
FACTS ABOUT LA TOMATINA
It’s the biggest food fight in the
world.
Every year, some 40,000 people
descend on the tiny Valencian town
of Buñol for one day to pelt each
other with tomatoes
La Tomatina originated from a street brawl.
The story goes that, during a more sombre street parade
back in 1945, a street fight broke out when one rowdy local
started to pelt everyone with vegetables from a nearby market
stall. A group of young people retaliated, and a huge food fight
broke out. The following year, the same people picked a fight
on purpose and brought their own supply of tomatoes. Although
the police broke up the new tradition for a few years, and it
was banned in the early 1950’s, the popularity of the food fight
lived on and the tradition was eventually brought back.
Around 40 metric tonnes of tomato are
used.
The fight only lasts for one hour, but
during that time around 150,000 over-ripe
tomatoes are splattered. These tomatoes
were probably never going to be eaten –
they’re low in quality, inferior in taste and
are bought very cheaply from the
Extremadura region of Spain
Tomatoes keep you clean
Tomatoes are apparently a natural

disinfectant, meaning that after La Tomatina
your skin will be cleansed of impurities. The
town is also left surprisingly clean, with
firefighters hosing down the streets – and people
– after the battle.
What to wear is key
The majority of participants wear white,
presumably because of the heat, or to see
exactly how much of a mess the tomatoes make
of their clothes. But you’ll see plenty of Spanish
men hurling tomatoes at each other in just their
underpants, while plenty of people wear
swimming goggles or snorkeling gear to keep the
puree out of their eyes and nose.
It’s a big deal for tourism
The one-hour tomato fight is such a big
draw that makes the little town of Bunol one of
the most popular tourist destinations in the
area. Accommodation is scarce and expensive in
the town itself, so most arrive on packed trains
from Valencia.
There are copycat festivals
The festival has been recreated all around the
world, with versions of the event popping up
everywhere from Colombia to China. One attempt
at holding a similar tomato fight in Bangalore,
India, was highly controversial because of the
‘wastage of tomatoes’, and the event was soon
banned.
It has its own Google Doodle
You know something must be a big deal when

it has its own Google Doodle. Even Google marks
the festival with its temporary banner
celebrating La Tomatina.
It’s more than just tomatoes
La Tomatina is not just a short tomato fight. The

week leading up to the main event is filled with
parades, fireworks and paella cooking contests
on the streets of the town.
THANK YOU!

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LA TOMATINA

 La Tomatina is a festival that is held in the Valencian

 Since 1945 it has been held on the last Wednesday of

 Started last Wednesday of August in 1945; some young people

Tomatoes are apparently a natural

You know something must be a big deal when

La Tomatina is not just a short tomato fight. The

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