Name: Joana Felicia Latief

Class: Academic English 1

Lecturer: Charles Schuster

La Tomatina: Tomato Battle Festival

Food fighting is a fun activity and several people do it together for an entertainment
purpose. In some parts of the world, food fighting has become a festival. Every last
Wednesday of August, around 50,000 people gather in a small town of Bunol, Spain, to get
hit by tomatoes at La Tomatina Festival (Rhodes, n.d.). La Tomatina is the most unique and
famous food fighting festival in the world (Kerkhof, 2016). It is when people throw over-ripe
tomatoes on each other. It is an unusual event to be celebrated, but people are having fun.

This festival has been going on for at least 60 years (Kannampilly, 2008). It originated
from Spain. There are three versions of how it started, although all versions agreed that it has
been going on since 1945 (World Party, 2017). The most popular version stated that, a local
argument started the food fight. The local people began throwing tomatoes at the city council
during a democratic protest (Rhodes, n.d.). The other version stated that, young people’s lack
of caution caused the food fight. Young people who were attending an annual parade
accidentally knocked over a Spanish giant costumed figure which made it collapsed
(Kerkhof, 2016). They grabbed some tomatoes from a vegetable stall around him and as
revenge, they threw it at the figure just before the authorities stopped them (Kherkof, 2016).
The following year, those who remembered that event decided to relive it again (AESU,
2016). Around 1950 during the Fransisco Franco years, due to its dictatorship, the authorities
decided to ban La Tomatina (Kannampilly, 2008). The regulation was made in consequence
of its lack of religious significance and they feared that it would be out of control (Rhodes,
n.d.). The locals disagreed and decided to hold “The Tomato Funeral”. People marched a
coffin filled with tomatoes as the musician played funeral tunes. Around 1959, the authorities
eventually gave up but there were some restrictions on activities. (World Party, 2017). From
that time, the locals have been doing it over and over. It brings the unity of the people around
The Town of Bunol. By the 1980s, the town council had taken over its organization.
Therefore, it is now a well-organized and well-patronized event.

La Tomatina has become a massive food battle that promotes happiness and
entertainment. Every last Wednesday of August at 11 in the morning, as people gather around
the centre of the town, Plaza del Pueblo, the locals are getting ready by covering their houses
with large plastic covers to avoid tomato sauce stains on the wall (World Party, 2017). For
safety, people are encouraged to wear gloves and safety goggles (Kannampilly, 2008). The
first main event before the tomato battle is called “Palo Jabon” or “Go for The Ham”
competition. A competition where people try to climb a greased-down-10-meter-pole to grab
a “jammon serrano” (large smoked ham) (World Party, 2017). When someone reached and
successfully dropped the ham, it is a signal for the trucks full of tomatoes to start moving
(Weir, 2012). The tomatoes for La Tomatina are from Extremadura, a place in Spain where
low-quality and cheap tomatoes supply are provided (Speak, 2018). Even most of the times,
their tomatoes are unsellable and inedible due to its bad quality (Collado, 2017). Once the
town’s water cannons are fired, the trucks drop the tomatoes on the ground and people start to
pick it up (Kannampilly, 2008). Before throwing the tomato, people must squash it for a
safety reason and no one is allowed to throw anything other than tomatoes (World Party,
2017). When the tomato fight begins, people start to fling the tomatoes around. The tomatoes
were fired head-on and sneakily by the people (World Party, 2017). It lasts for an hour until
the town has transformed into a red-stained battlefield. Other trucks keep dropping the
remaining tomatoes and people have to make way for the trucks while firing the tomatoes
around. After the tomatoes have transformed into mush, water cannons are fired for the
second time. That means, La Tomatina has come to an end and everyone must stop throwing
the tomatoes. After about 90,000 pounds of tomatoes are used in the festival, fire trucks and
the locals come and clean the remaining tomatoes on the streets (Spanish Fiesta, n.d.). People
started to leave the town’s main square to clean themselves at the Bunol River or in the local
swimming pool.

Nowadays, La Tomatina has become a popular tourist destination. “In 2002, The
Secretary of The Department of Tourism has declared La Tomatina as The Festivity of
International Tourist Interest” (Pacific Asia Travel Association, 2018). Every last
Wednesday of August the number of tourists increased the population number of The Town
of Bunol. Up to 50,000 tourists attend La Tomatina while the number of the population in
Bunol is only 9,000 (Weir, 2012). La Tomatina’s popularity has spread around the world. In
other countries such as India, China, and the United States organize similar events (Spanish
Fiestas, n.d). La Tomatina is a unique and entertaining festival for people to attend. It creates
an unforgettable moment and brings up the unity among people.
References:

AESU. (2016). A Brief History of La Tomatina Bunol. Retrieved from

https://www.aesu.com/blog/brief-history-la-tomatina-bunol/

Kannampilly, A. (2008). A Food Fight With a Difference. Retrieved from

https://abcnews.go.com/Travel/story?id=5669478&page=1

Marc, F. (2017). Top 10 Food Fight Festivals. Retrieved from

https://kickasstrips.com/2017/04/food-fight-festivals-top-10/

Pacific Asia Travel Association. (2018). Across Spain: La Tomatina Festival. Retrieved from
https://www.pata.org/across-spain-la-tomatina-festival/

Rhodes, D. (n.d.). La Tomatina Festival. Retrieved from

https://www.barcelona-life.com/barcelona/tomatina

Russel, R. (2018). La Tomatina Festival. Retrieved from

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1009776/la-tomatina-festival-what-is-la-
tomatina-why-do-spanish-throw-tomatoes

Spanish Fiestas. (n.d.). La Tomatina Festival. Retrieved from

https://www.spanish-fiestas.com/festivals/la-tomatina/

Speak, C. (2018). Why Locals Says La Tomatina Isn’t a Complete Waste of Food. Retrieved
from https://theculturetrip.com/europe/spain/articles/why-locals-say-la-tomatina-isnt-
a-complete-waste-of-food/

Weir, D. (2012). Spain’s La Tomatina: The Ultimate Food Fight. Retrieved from
http://m.digitaljournal.com/article/328687

World Party. (2017). The Rough Guide to World’s Best Festivals. Retrieved from
https://books.google.co.id/books?
id=xni0BgAAQBAJ&pg=PA75&dq=la+tomatina+pdf&hl=id&sa=X&ved=0ahUKE
wj87Yqbi9jdAhWGNo8KHRxmChAQ6AEIMjAB#v=onepage&q=la%20tomatina
%20pdf&f=false