Who cast that first fateful tomato that started the La Tomatina revolution? The reality is no one knows. Maybe it was an anti-Franco rebellion, or a carnival that got out of hand. According to the most popular version of the story, during the 1945 festival of Los Gigantes (a giant paper mâché puppet parade), locals were looking to stage a brawl to get some attention. They happened upon a vegetable cart nearby and started hurling ripe tomatoes. Innocent onlookers got involved until the scene escalated into a massive melee of flying fruit. The instigators had to repay the tomato vendors, but that didn't stop the recurrence of more tomato fights—and the birth of a new tradition.
Fearful of an unruly escalation, authorities enacted, relaxed, and then reinstated a series of bans in the 1950s. In 1951, locals who defied the law were imprisoned until public outcry called for their release. The most famous effrontery to the tomato bans happened in 1957 when proponents held a mock tomato funeral complete with a coffin and procession. After 1957, the local government decided to roll with the punches, set a few rules in place, and embraced the wacky tradition.
Though the tomatoes take center stage, a week of festivities lead up to the final showdown. It's a celebration of Buñol's patron saints, the Virgin Mary and St. Louis Bertrand, with street parades, music, and fireworks in joyous Spanish fashion. To build up your strength for the impending brawl, an epic paella is served on the eve of the battle, showcasing an iconic Valencian dish of rice, seafood, saffron, and olive oil.
Today, this unfettered festival has some measure of order. Organizers have gone so far as to cultivate a special variety of unpalatable tomatoes just for the annual event. Festivities kick off around 10 a.m. when participants race to grab a ham fixed atop a greasy pole. Onlookers hose the scramblers with water while singing and dancing in the streets. When the church bell strikes noon, trucks packed with tomatoes roll into town, while chants of "To-ma-te, to-ma-te!" reach a crescendo.
Then, with the firing of a water cannon, the main event begins. That's the green light for crushing and launching tomatoes in all-out attacks against fellow participants. Long distance tomato lobbers, point-blank assassins, and medium range hook shots. Whatever your technique, by the time it's over, you will look (and feel) quite different. Nearly an hour later, tomato-soaked bombers are left to play in a sea of squishy street salsa with little left resembling a tomato to be found. A second cannon shot signals the end of the battle. | Ayaa tuuray tamaandhadii ugu horraysay ee taariikhda u gashay bilowgii kacaankii Tamaandhada? Xaqiiqadu waa cidina ma oga. Laga yaabaa inay ahayd kacdoon ka horjeeday Franco, ama damaashaad faraha ka baxay. Noocaca ugu caansan ee sheekadan ayaa ah, markay ahayd muddadii fantasiyihii Los Gigantes ee 1945 (dabbaaldeg lagu soo bandhigo babeet aad u weyn oo waraaq isku-fajaqan ah), ayay dadka deegaanka qaarkood xurguf yar bilaabeen si bal uun woxoogaa loogu soo jeedsado. Markaas ayay ku soo beegmeen gaadhi-gacmeed khudaar waday oo tamaandhada bislaatay isku shiidkeeda ay halkaa ka bilaabeen. Daawadayaal aan waxba kala-ogayn ayaa ka qayb galay illaa meeshu isku rogtay iska-horimaad tamandhadu wifta hayso. Kuwii fidnada bilaabay ayaa dib ugu celiyay lacagtooda ganacsatadii tamaandhada, Laakiin taasi ma joojin rogaal-celino badan oo dagaalldaas tamaandhada ahaa— iyo bilow dhaqan markaa cusbaa. Iyaga oo ka baqayay arrimaha oo ka sii dara, ayay mammulladii jiray soo saareen, marna dabciyeen, haddana dib ugu soo rogeen mamnuucitaanno isdabajooga ah sannadihii 1950yihii. Gudihii 1951, ayaa dadkii deegaanka ee ku xadgudbay sharciga la xidhay illaa markay dadweynuhu ka dhiidhiyeen la sii daayay. U badheedhkii ugu caansana ee lagaga soo horjeeday mamnuuca tamaandhada ayaa dhacday 1957 markay taageerayaashu u soo dareereen aaska tamaandhada oo xitaa naxash lagu waday. Wixii ka dambeeyay 1957, ayay dowladda hoose go’aansatay inay is-daadraaciso, oo ay u dajiysay xeerar, soona dhawaysay dhaqankaas la yaabka lahaa. In kasta oo tamaandhadu kaalinta ugu weyn ka qaadato, haddana toddobaad fantasiye lagu jiro ayaa iskugu soo biyo shubta iska hor-imaadka ugu dambeeya. Waa xusidda awliyada ilaalisa Buñol, ee ah Virgin Mary iyo St. Louis Bertrand, iyo isku-soo-baxyo waddada loo dareero, muusik, iyo damaashaad loo qabto qaab Isbaanish farxad iyo reyreyn leh. Si tamar loogu keydsado iska horimaadka soo dhow, ayaa la cunaa galabta maalinta ka horreysa dagaalka bariis isku dhex-karis ah oo loo yaqaan “paella”, lehna cunto badeed, sacfaraan iyo saliid saytuun, oo ku caan ah reer Valencia. Fantasiyahan bilaa xakamaha ah ayaa waayadan woxoogaa nidaam ah leh. Qabanqaabiyeyaasha ayaa xitaa u beera oo ugu talagala nooc tamandho oo aan dhandhan fiican lahayn dhacdadan sannadlaha ah. Fantasiyaha ayaa bilaabma agagaaraha 10 g. h. markay ka qaybqaatayaashu kala boobaan haam korka kaga yaal udub dufan la mariyay. Daawadyaasha ayaa ku rusheeya biyo dadka buuqsan iyaga oo heesaya oo qob-ka-ciyaar ku sameynaya isla markaa jidadka. Markuu jalaska kaniisaddu garaaco duhurka, tarakyo ka buuxaan tamandho ayaa magaalada soo gala, iyo oo lagu nashiidada "To-ma-te, to-ma-te!" cirka isku shareerto. Markaa, iyada oo la rido madfac biyo ah, ayay xafladda ugu muhiimsani bilaabantaa. Waa markaa marka la oggol yahay bilowga bururinta iyo ganidda tamaandhada iyo weeraro aan loola kala-hadhin oo lagu hujuumo ka qaybgalayaasha kale. Kuwa sida leebka korka kaga keena, iyo kuwa shiishka badan iyo kuwa meel-dhexaadka hoosta uga dhiibaba ha ahaadeene. Siday doonto xeeladdaadu ha noqotee, markay wax kasta soo gabgaboobaan, waxaad u ekaan doontaa (oo aad dareemi doontaa) qof sidii hore ka duwan. In ku dhow hal saac kaddib, dagaaliyahannada ay tamaandhadu radisay ayaa iskugu soo hadha waddo aad moodo bad ku dhooqowday shigni cas oo haba yaraatee wax tamandho u eg aan lagu arkin. Madfac labaad oo la rido ayaa markaa calaamad u ah dhammaadka dagaalka. |