La Tomatina is a famous food-fight festival organized annually in Bunol, located in the Valencia region of Spain. It is a one-of-its-kind event where participants engage in a massive tomato fight, throwing ripe tomatoes at each other and having a joyous time. Since 1945, the La Tomatina festival has been held on the last Wednesday of August as part of the week-long festivities of Bunol's local celebrations in honour of their patron saint, San Luis Bertrán. La Tomatina 2023 will be celebrated this year on Wednesday, August 30.

Thousands of people worldwide go to the 'World's Biggest Food Fight', where more than one hundred metric tons of over-ripe tomatoes are thrown on the streets. The origins of La Tomatina are believed to date back to 1945, when a group of young people started a spontaneous food fight during a parade. Scroll down to know more about La Tomatina's history and the significance of the grand festival of Spain.

La Tomatina 2023 Date

La Tomatina 2023 will be celebrated on Wednesday, August 30.

La Tomatina History

The La Tomatina festival started in 1945 on the last Wednesday of August. It was when several young people spent time in the town square to attend the Giants and Big-Heads figures parade and decided to take part in a parade. As per records, at the parade, one participant's big head fell off, following which he flew into a rage and began hitting everything in their path, giving rise to the idea of the festival. However, there was a vegetable market, and people started ping each other with tomatoes until the local forces ended the fruit battle. This is how the La Tomatina festival came into being and has gained popularity since then.

La Tomatina Significance

The La Tomatina festival has gained international recognition and draws participants from all around the world. The unique and vibrant event is held on the last Wednesday of August each year in Bunol. As per records, official ticketing has been in place since 2013, limiting the number of participants to just 20,000 people. La Tomatina festival begins at midnight when trucks loaded with tomatoes proceed to drive through the tomato fight area. As soon as the car passes, everyone dives on the ground, scooping for tomatoes to get themselves armed for the memorable event.

During the tomato fight, participants are encouraged to squish the tomatoes before throwing them to avoid causing injury. After about an hour of the tomato fight, a firecracker signals the end of the battle, after which the town's fire trucks and locals work together to clean up the streets.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 30, 2023 08:43 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).