Thousands Of People In Spain Threw Tomatoes At Each Other Non-Stop For An Hour In A Massive Food Fight
The tradition of throwing overripe tomatoes was inspired by a fight among local kids in 1945.
Thousands of people have gathered for a massive food fight at La Tomatina, Spain’s annual tomato-throwing extravaganza.
The tradition was inspired by a fight among local kids in 1945 and is customarily held on the final Wednesday of August, which fell on August 30 this year.
At noon, six trucks loaded with tomatoes traversed the narrow streets of the eastern town of Bunol. Then, for an hour, participants hurled tomatoes at each other and doused each other in red pulp and juice.
Participants even wore swimming goggles to protect their eyes, according to Euronews.
After the one-hour frenzy, the streets are hosed down, allowing visitors to clean up before partaking in related festivals such as concerts and contests later in the evening.
”What I like most about La Tomatina is the people and the energy.” one visitor from India told AFP. “All the energy, no fighting, all the very positive energy.”
The festival limits the attendees to 22,000 people, and entry starts at US$12.
There is also an additional “La Tomatina Infantil”, Tomatina for children, that welcomes kids from the age of four to 12 to be a part of a mini-battle on August 24.
This year, approximately 15,000 people joined the La Tomatina event, with the majority hailing from abroad, according to AFP.
