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. | Wie het daardie eerste, beslissende, tamatie gegooi wat die La Tomatina-rewolusie begin het? Niemand weet regtig nie. Miskien was dit ‘n rebellie teen die Franse, of ‘n karnaval wat hand uit geruk het. Volgens die gewildste weergawe van die storie, wou plaaslike inwoners tydens die Fees van Los Gigantes in 1945, ‘n reuse parade van papierdeegmarionette, ‘n straatgeveg begin om aandag te trek. Hulle het toevallig op ‘n groentekar daar naby afgekom en begin om die ryp tamaties rond te gooi. Onskuldige omstanders het betrokke geraak en die toneel het in ‘n massiewe skermutseling van vlieënde vrugte ontaard. Die opswepers moes skadevergoeding aan die tamatiesmouse betaal, maar dit kon nie die voorkoms van herhaalde tamatiegevegte - en die geboorte van ‘n nuwe tradisie – keer nie. Bang vir ‘n toename in wanordelikheid, het die owerhede voorskrifte uitgevaardig, verslap, en dit gedurende die 1950s ‘n paar maal verbied. In 1951 is inwoners wat die wet oortree het, gevange geneem, totdat daar ‘n openbare protes was vir hulle vrylating. Die bekendste astrantheid ten opsigte van die tamatieverbod was gedurende 1957 toe voorstanders ‘n skyntamatiebegrafnis gehou het, kompleet met ‘n kis en ‘n stoet. Na 1957 het die regering besluit om maar saam met die meerderheid te vloei, ‘n paar reëls in plek te stel, en die verspotte tradisie te aanvaar. Alhoewel alles om die tamaties draai, is daar ‘n hele week se feesviering wat tot die finale konfrontasie lei. Dit is ‘n verheerliking van Buñol se beskermheiliges, die Maagd Maria, en Sint Louis Bertrand, met straatoptogte, musiek, en vuurwerke op vrolike Spaanse wyse. Om jou kragte op te bou vir die naderende straatgeveg, word ‘n indrukwekkende paella op die vooraand van die geveg voorgesit, ‘n vertoon van ‘n gewilde Valenciaanse gereg van rys, seekos, saffraan, en olyfolie. Vandag is daar ‘n mate van orde tydens hierdie ongebonde fees. Die organiseerders het so ver gegaan as om ‘n spesiale kultivar tamatie te kweek wat nie lekker smaak nie, om gedurende die jaarlikse gebeurtenis te gebruik. Die feesviering begin ongeveer 10:00 wanneer deelnemers kompeteer om ‘n ham bo van ‘n glibberige paal af te gryp. Omstanders spuit die klouteraars nat met water terwyl hulle in die strate sing en dans. Wanneer die kerkklokke die middaguur aankondig, kom vragmotors, gepak met tamaties, die dorp binnegery, terwyl die dreunsang “To-ma-te, to-ma-te!” ‘n crescendo bereik. Dan, wanneer die waterkanon afgevuur word, begin die hoofitem. Dit is die groenlig om die tamaties pap te druk en na ander deelnemers te gooi in hewige aanvalle. Langafstand lughoue, tromp-op moordhoue, en middelmatige haakhoue. Wat ookal jou tegniek, wanneer alles verby is sal jy heeltemal anders lyk (en voel). Byna ‘n uur later word die tamatiedeurweekte bomgooiers gelos om in ‘n see van papsawwe straatsalsa, waarin daar min oor is wat na ‘n tamatie lyk, te speel. ‘n Tweede kanonskoot dui die einde van die geveg aan. |