I love trivia and this one was particularly delightful because it reminded me of my current favorite Bollywood movie Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara that featured this festival for the first time! Today really is La Tomatina, the  world’s largest tomato fight just started in Bunol, Spain, near Valencia.  Some 35,000 will hurl 120 tons of tomatoes at each other for two hours, fun fun! 🙂 xoxo

La Tomatina

The festival starts with a “palo jabon” whereby a pole is greased and a ham is placed at the top. The aim is to climb the pole and knock the ham off, thereby signalling the start of the tomato festival and fight. The tomato fight usually starts at about 11am, once the ham has been knocked off and a shot is sounded or water cannon started. Crushed tomatoes are then thrown at the crowds of people waiting from large trucks. The trucks usually start in the Plaza del Pueblo area. The actual tomato fight usually only lasts about an hour and the end of the fight is signaled by a single shot into the air or the water cannons are switched back on, announcing the end.