La Tomatina in Bunol, Spain
Map of Spain and surrounding areas from www.sitesatlas.com/Maps/Maps/506.htm
Abstract
Spain is a country where there are multiple celebrations throughout the calendar year. Cultural, social, religious, and economic identities are exemplified by celebrations held in Spain . La Tomatina is this defining patron saint celebration for the people of Bunol , Spain . Originating in 1945, the week long celebration includes fireworks, music, dancing, and the world's largest tomato fight. The content contained in this website has been designed to illustrate the cultural origins, activities performed, importance, and expressive nature of La Tomatina celebration in Bunol , Spain.
90,000 pounds
of tomato madness inthe streets of Bunol from
www.lahoya.net/tomatina/galeria5.html
Participants
duck and dodge flying tomatoes as they are hurlled amidst 20,000 people.
Picture from www.lahoya.net/tomatina/galeria2.html
Introduction
Spain is a nation where different celebrations occur throughout each year for various reasons. Some are religious, some are grand in scale, and some last for an extended period of time. There is only one celebration where 90,000 pounds of tomatoes hurled amidst the masses of up to 40,000 people culminate a week of festivities (Don Quijote Organization). This website has been created by a Miami University student with the intention of explaining and analyzing the events and significance of La Tomatina celebration held annually in late August.
Context of Spain
Spain is the fourth largest country in Europe sharing borders with Portugal to the west, and France to the north. Its coastline stretches along both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, making Spain 's borders bounded 88 percent by water ( Spain 1). At its furthest point south, at the Strait of Gibraltar, Spain comes within 13 kilometers of Morocco (Spain1).
The climate of Spain is diverse. Mountains, flat plains, dry plateaus, and coastline cause many variations in the country's climate. The coasts, like the Atlantic , are mostly damp and cool. With the exception of the mountainous north, Spain only accumulates less than 61 centimeters of rain each year ( Spain 1). In the east the summers are very sunny with little rain, typically around 30 degrees Celsius (Sprachcaffe). Northern winters become extremely cold, while the southernmost areas of Spain have an average winter temperature of 14 degrees Celsius (Sprachcaffe).
Many groups of people have contributed to the ethnic makeup of Spain . The first group of people to inhabit Spain was the Iberians, or Libyans (Descola 1967). Soon after the Celts migrated and quickly merged with the Iberians forming the Celt Iberians ( Altamira : 1949). Major rule over Spain first arrived with the Romans. 600 years of rule by the Romans resulted in bringing the Latin language, Roman law, municipality, and Christianity to Spain (Barton 2003). During this rule other cultures arrived, like the Visigoths and the Arabs, who left their mark by introducing Islam to the inhabitants ( Altamira : 1949). The fifteenth century is marked by Catholic monarchs, initially the Habsburg family and then succeeded by the Bourbon family (Barton 2003). World supremacy was in the hands of the Spanish during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, powered by the infamous Spanish Armada (Barton 2003).
Monarchial rule ended in Spain for a period however, when General Franco took absolute control in 1936. He ruled under a dictatorship until his death in 1975. Following the death of Franco , Spain technically became a monarchy once again when Juan Carlos I de Borbon y Borbon was crowned king. This was not a monarchial rule however, as Carlos made an immediate movement towards forming a western democracy (Barton 2003). Today Spain has an executive, legislative, and judicial branch with a president acting as the head of the government.Origins of La Tomatina
La Tomatina literally translates from Spanish into English meaning the tomato. Celebrating Bunol's patron saint, San Luis Bertran, began in 1945. The name of the festival refers to the massive tomato fight which occurs on the final day of the week long religious ceremony. It is not known exactly why a tomato fight is the culminating event at La Tomatina, but there is speculation as to whether it began from a rowdy group of friends horsing around or possibly participants in a rally opposing Franco (Tomatina).
Performance
Throughout the days of celebrating La Tomatina you will be able to observe parades, fireworks, music, dancing, a paella contest, and a tomato fight. The tomato fight is the highlight and culminating event of the celebration (Tomatina). Bunol's small town streets fill up with 20,000 to 40,000 people from eleven a.m. to one p.m. Buildings are lined with tarps and plastic to protect them from the looming mess to be. Chaos breaks out once the tomatoes are smashed and thrown about at one another. Clothes are ripped right off people's bodies, and tomatoes are flung at each other as the filled trucks roll through the streets passing out the red weapon of choice seen in figure 4 (Fussman 1998: 151). Two hours pass, a siren is blown, and the cleanup begins.Artifact
Tomatoes
from <http://www.xentrik.net/freegraphics/photos/food/tomatoes.jpg>
Interpretation
Prognosis for La Tomatina
La Tomatina has been growing in popularity in recent years. What started as an event among those living in Bunol has grown to be known worldwide. The most recent festival held in August of 2004 grew to 40,000 people, the largest crowd to date (Designerz 2004). Popularity in the tomato fight now has turned the small town's festival into a tourist attraction. I do not suspect the tomato fight will grow much larger in the number of participants. Bunol is not a large town, only 20,000 reside their permanently, so continued growth would be more than the capacity of the streets at some point. I the numbers at La Tomatina will most likely plateau and fluctuate near 40,000 participants each year.
Conclusion
Bunol , Spain 's La Tomatina is among the more interesting festivals in Spain . The residents bask in the atmosphere of the week long celebration of the city's patron saint, San Luis Bertran. In sloppy fashion the celebration ends with the worlds largest tomato fight. Crowded streets and mangled clothing lie amidst the ankle deep tomato juices. People travel from all over the world in order to take part in the events of the celebration. La Tomatina defines Spain 's enthusiasm for large group celebrations, and the colorful thoughts of the La Tomatina should hopefully come to mind when people think about Spain and Spanish culture.
Internet References Cited
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Don Quijote Organization, La Tomatina, Bunol ( Valencia ), 20 Sept. 2004,
<www.donquijote.org/culture/spain/fiestas/tomatina.asp> This website gives a summary about the events that take place at La Tomatina along with some photos that show the activities. -
Spain , Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2004, 1-12, 16 Sept. 2004, <Encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761575057/Spain.html#endeds> The Encarta website gives general information about Spain like climate and geography.
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Sprachcaffe 2002, Spain , 16 Sept. 2004,
<www.sprachcaffe-spanien.com/ingles/clim.html> There were only two paragraphs on this website about Spain 's climate. -
Tomatina , Spain , Pilot Guides, 16 Oct. 2004
<http://www.pilot.co.uk/festivals/Tomatina.html> This website explains what it is like to be at La Tomatina celebration accompanied by travel tips and photos.
Peer-Reviewed References Cited
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Altamira, Rafael
1949 A History of Spain : pp. 15-69, 90-112
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Barton, Simon
2003 A History of Spain : pp.44-133, 210-255 -
Descola, Jean
1967 A History of Spain : pp. 151-174 -
Douglass, Carrie B.
1991 The Fiesta Cycle of Spain .' Anthropological Quarterly 64(3):126- 141 -
Fussman , Cal
1998 Peter piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. The perfect man went with tomatoes. Esquire 130(6):150-151 -
Turner, Victor and Edith
Religious Celebrations: 201-218