La Tomatina is a festival that is held in the Valencian town of Buñol, a town located in the East of Spain 30km from the Mediterranean, in which participants throw tomatoes and get involved in this tomato fight purely for fun. Since 1945 It has been held on the last Wednesday of August, during the week of festivities of Buñol.
The 2015 edition of La Tomatina is its 70th. Seven decades have passed since the first accidental fight between two young boys in 1945, that has developed in an improvised tomatoes’ fight between all the people at Plaza del Pueblo, the main square of the town.
An episode that in the following years has become a tradition, and became established as the most famous and international celebrations in the world. After exactly one hour the fight ends with the firing of the second shot, announcing the end. The whole town square is colored red and rivers of tomato juice flow freely. Fire trucks hose down the streets and participants use hoses that locals provide to remove the tomato paste from their bodies. Some participants go to the pool of “los peñones” to wash. After the cleaning, the village cobblestone streets are pristine due to the acidity of the tomato disinfecting and thoroughly cleaning the surfaces.
For the third time in a row, the capacity of La Tomatina will be regulated by selling tickets for the event, a measure that “guarantees the sustainability of the party, better security and [more] fun for the attenders”. This year, it is estimated that almost 145000 kg of tomatoes will be thrown. As with previous years, participants of many nationalities are expected.
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