SOTC Blog

Come August end, and it’s the time for La Tomatina in Spain! It’s one of the freakiest festivals that we have ever known.

It’s crazy! It’s messy! And it’s fun!

Participants throw tomatoes at each other at this festival that is held every year on the last Wednesday of August. Thanks to the movie, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, many Indians know about this unique festival, and it has become a major attraction of the Europe tourism.

But, there are many things that you may not still know about this annual frenzy. Here are a few facts to look at:

1. It’s the largest food festival in the world

With over 40,000 people gleefully throwing tomatoes at each other, this festival becomes the largest food festival in the world. It sees participants from all across the globe.

2. 1.5 lakh tomatoes are quashed during the festival

La Tomatina lasts only for an hour between 10 am and 11 am. During this time, around 1.5 lakh tomatoes are used. These tomatoes are of low quality, poor in taste, and over-ripe.

3. There are no tomatoes in Buñol

While listing the places to visit in Europe, do not forget to include the Spanish town of Buñol, where you may get to experience this madness. Interestingly, Buñol does not grow tomatoes at all! Especially reserved tomatoes sourced from all over Spain are trucked in for this festival.

4. It originated from a street fight

The food fight originated from a street brawl. In 1945, a young boy started throwing vegetables on people post a street fight. This led to a group of people repeating the action. The next year, the same group of people brought their tomatoes and intentionally picked up a quarrel. Eventually, it became a food festival and gained an official status from 1957.

5. Streets are left sparkling clean

Once the messy festival is over, the streets are left cleaner than before. This is because fire trucks wash out people and streets with water hoses. Due to the tomato’s acidic properties that act as disinfectants, the streets are left sparkling.

When planning your Europe trip, do not miss this exciting annual event. The right time to book your tickets to Spain and the tomato festival is right now! La Tomatina 2017 is scheduled on the 30^th of August and tickets for the same are open.

When you visit the heavenly place of Europe, the tomato festival is not the only attraction to hold you. Some other interesting things to do in Europe include visiting La Lonja, a UNESCO World Heritage site; bike riding along the park of Jardins Del Turia; and exploring the spectacular City of Arts and Sciences (Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias) that stretches for around 3.5 lakh square-meters along the old Turia riverbed.

To get started with the exhilarating holiday, pick from one of the best Europe packages, and embark on an experience of a lifetime!