The canceled the previous two years due to the pandemic, the Tomatina from Bunol returns in style to be held in the Valencian town, also celebrating its 75th anniversary. This festival, declared of International Tourist Interest in 2002, is already one of the most popular in our country and attracts thousands of participants eager to participate in an authentic pitched battle based on tomatoes that dye the streets red.
Is he last wednesday of the month of August when Buñol celebrates its most anticipated festivities since the tradition began almost by chance in 1945, although a children’s edition was already held last Saturday so that children could also participate safely. The influx of local and foreign public is such that for years a maximum capacity limitobliging those interested to previously acquire a ticket.
The origin of the party
As usually happens with the most popular festivities, the Tomatina began as a impromptu episode parallel to the local festivities, like many other patron saints that animate the summer in towns and neighborhoods throughout the country.
According to the official history, it was in 1945 when a group of young people fed up with the boring parade of giants and big heads who decided, on their own initiative, to liven up the party by sneaking into the procession of the cavalcade. The lack of delicacy of the aforementioned caused the fall of a participant who, taking the interruption in bad manners, began to hit and attack the infiltrators.
In the course of the tumult, a vegetable stall who coincidentally exhibited his merchandise along the stretch of the route, and all those present began to ravage the vegetables, catching the momentum of the moment and throwing vegetables at each other, especially tomatoes, in the middle of the season.
The authorities put an end to the riots, but the impromptu battle was so popular that the same young people, presumably joined by others, conscientiously repeated the same action the following year, bringing their own tomatoes from home to the party. Thus began a custom turned into a tradition that would not stop gaining popularity year after year, until was banned in the 1950sbecause the Police were tired of having to dissolve the rain of tomatoes.
That would not put off its ardent participants, who were often arrested, until in 1957 the official cancellation of the festivities led the neighbors to represent a symbolic “tomato burial”including live music of funeral marches, taking it with humor and taking the opportunity to veiledly criticize the authorities.
It was already late: popular pressure caused the party to be authorized again shortly after, and since 1980 the City Council has been in charge of organizing it. Since then, its success and participation has not stopped growing, to which visitors from other towns and regions have been added. Ultimate fame would come in 1983as a result of a report broadcast on TVE’s ‘Weekly Report’ program, signed by the journalist Javier Basilio.
His fame spread throughout Spain and soon caught the attention of the international public, having repercussions in tourist and cultural media of all kinds, and even appearing in movies, television programs, video games and even the doodle of Google. It has also been replicated elsewhere of the world such as Colombia, China or the United States; the attraction to throwing tomatoes and swimming in tomato puree seems universal to all cultures.
Where do tomatoes come from and what are they like?
Originally, the peculiar vegetable battle only required collecting the tomatoes that were available at that time, but with the specialization of the festival they have also been selected specific tomatoes for this task, provided by the organization itself.
Try to use tomatoes that don’t be a food waste, and also that they do not become exaggeratedly dangerous projectiles. And it is that not just any tomato will do to develop a successful Tomatina without -too many- bruises or accidents.
The tomatoes, unsuitable for consumption, are ripened days before in the chamber
The suppliers of this particular ammunition have been changing, going from the Xilxes agricultural cooperative to the Citrimed company, both from Castellón, using already ripe tomatoes and local varieties. less suitable for consumptionwhich are not normally used or have more commercial outlet.
Citrimed has been supplying tomatoes for more than a decade, which this year will add about 130,000 kilos, becoming allocated another 1,600 for the children’s edition. Given the increase in demand, in recent editions it has become necessary to buy tomatoes from outside the Community, so this year fruits will be launched also from Murcia and Castilla-La Mancha.
The tomatoes are harvested specifically for this celebration and are kept in a controlled chamber for about three days, looking for the right maturity that leaves the product at the optimum point. Ideally, the tomato should be just the right size to be easily picked up with one hand, with a soft texture that allows it to be slightly crushed before throwing it, thus reducing potential damage.
The battle will begin on Wednesday at 12:00 noon, lasting until 1:00 p.m. The trucks appear in the streets designated for the party, throwing the first tomatoes. Next, drop their load and the participants can now launch themselves to collect the bullets and indulge in revelry.
The Villa de Buñol in time
Photos | La Tomatina – flydime
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