La Tomatina - the most exciting and characteristic event of the Buñol fiestas - takes place on the last Wednesday in August; days beforehand, however, the town is already alive with music, festivity and fun.

 

It all began in 1945 when some local teenagers, taking part in the traditional and folkloric giants and big heads procession, decided to create their own niche within the parade. One of them grabbed some tomatoes from a market stall and threw them at the others, who retaliated immediately, giving rise to a spontaneous vegetable fight.

 

 

The following year, the teenagers decided to repeat the same series of events, this time bringing tomatoes from home. Although unaware of the importance of this newly formed tradition, curtailed by police over subsequent years, the boys had made history. La Tomatina was banned at the beginning of the 1950s, which had little effect on those who took part, leading on occasions to arrests. The fiesta, however, was allowed to take place once more, returning with greater impact and more participants.

 

The fiesta was banned again until 1955, when residents organised ‘the tomato burial’ as a form of protest. At this event, locals carried a coffin with a giant tomato inside through the town, accompanied by a band playing funeral marches; the event was a complete success. Finally, in 1957 the Tomatina was re-instated as part of the official fiesta celebrations, this time organised by City Council itself.

Year after year, the town square fills up with “tomatinos” – people eager to throw tomatoes, dance, play and end up completely covered in crimson tomato pulp. At 11am the Tomatina begins and participants paint the town red – snatching, crushing and hurling tomatoes at everyone in sight until everything and everybody is submerged in red.

 

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