How have you been? sorry for my delay I was kinda busy with my studies to post something in the blog. ^_^
Tonight I'd like to introduce you the Tomato festival (la tomatina) This festival is well known all over the world. La tomatina is held in Buñol not far away from Valencia in the last Wednesday of August... so you can take the train from Valencia.
Buñol is a small village, the population is around 9000 people, but whose population swells to some 30,000 on the day of La Tomatina. If you want to enjoy this lovely village, i recommend you to visit the castle built in the 13th century, the Roquillo bridge (500 m walking from the city centre), and the several fountains and gardens of the old town.
The tomatina (토마티나).. a fight of tomatoes involves hundred of people from different places and ages, that going to visit Buñol expecting to be bathed in tomato juice. Wwhen the fight is over, people usually go until the installed showers for participants or they get into the river!
토마토의 바다에 빠져~
Before go there, you should keep in mind some rules! The city council follows a short list of instructions for the safety of the participants and the festival:
The tomatoes have to be squashed before throwing to avoid injuries.
No other projectiles except tomatoes are allowed.
Participants have to give way to the truck and lorries.
The festival doesn't allow ripping off T-shirts. (Many men try tocarry it outwith the girls ¬_¬)
You must be careful to avoid the lorries which carry the tomatoes. As soon as you hear the 2nd banger you must stop throwing tomatoes.
Umm, my personal tip for you is that should wear old clothes and shoes, also don't miss to wear snorkelling equipment to protect the eyes of the tomato juice. It could be seem a little be weird, but i swear you that is very useful ahahaha.
If you're not provided with swimming goggles do not worry! you will find in all the shops of the town, also you can find underwater cameras, very useful to take pictures during tomatina
If you are doubting about the fun of this festival can involve, check out the video :D
토마토의 바다에 몸을 던져라! 라 토마티나ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Do you know what is the Bullfighting? Personally I don't like too much this face of the Spanish culture. But lot of foreigners are fascinated with this. So i decided write a post.. Bullfighting is a traditional Spanish spectacle that became popular in the XVII century. It's probably one of the most ancient mass entertainments of the world. Actually, bullfights are considered one of the symbols of the Hispanic culture and an art expression.
Bullfighting is considered an art-form and high culture for its aesthetic and traditions. Moreover, it's a metaphor of a fight between mankind (represented by the torero) and the Death, whose symbol is a bull. As such, it's a spectacle full of emotions: people either love it or hate it.
In a bullfight, 3 toreros have to fight against 2 bulls each and, ultimately, kill them. It's always held in the bullring
Additionally, each bullfight is divided into 3 tercios (stages) and lasts for around 20 minutes: tercio de varas, tercio de banderillas and tercio de muerte. Bullfighting in Spain generally lasts between 1.30 h. and 2.30 h. pm.
Stages of a bullfight
The fight has the exact same structure for every one of the 6 bulls. It begins with the tercio de varas. Then comes the tercio de banderillas. Finally, the tercio de muerte is the time when the matador faces the bull on its own.
The tercio de varas starts right after the bull enters the ring. It's the first contact the matador has with the bull and he'll have the chance to observe the its behavior.
As the bull is encouraged by the matador to attack the horse, the picadores' mission will be to stab the bull's neck. The picador needs to weaken the bull's neck muscles and make it less dangerous.
During the tercio de banderillas, 3 banderilleros will try to stick 2 poles with a metal point, similar to an arrow, in the bull's shoulders. As a result, the banderilleros' attacks will further weaken the bull's strength making him losing power.
The matador enters the arena alone at the beginning of the tercio de muerte. He carries with him a red cape called muleta, and a sword (estoque). By placing the sword behind the muleta, the matador uses it to entice the bull and to provoke it to charge.
The faena (job) or performance with the muleta is very visual. The faena ends with the estocada or the act of stabbing the bull to death. It's the most difficult task the matador faces in a corrida because he might be gored while performing it.
estocada
Nowadays bullfighting is big business in Spain with the top matadores earning comparable salaries to the nation's top soccer stars and rock idols
Hello hello!
If you would like to travel to Spain and don't know when will do it, know about the most important holidays, can be very useful for choice your dates.. that way you're able to enjoy a nice experience.
December 31 - New Year Eve.
Is typical Spanish in the night of 31 December, all the Spaniards eat the 12 lucky grapes while sounds the bells of the clock in the Puerta del Sol in Madrid.
The bells announce the end of the year and the beginning of a new one. People make a wish while eating one by one the grapes. Then go out with friends to celebrate the new year until the sun rise. Also is tipical start the new day after a long long party night eating churros with chocolate.
January 6 - Epiphany.
I like so much this date (*^▽^*)
It's very popular celebrate the arrival of the Three Wise Men who bring gifts to all children with the Cavalcade of Magi. this is a typical parade practically in all the Spanish cities. The Magi (of which tradition holds there are three: Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltasar) ride through the streets, as their page boys throw candies to children.
It's celebrated every January 5 (the day preceding the feast of Epiphany) in the evening. When the night comes the children must go to bed early after cleaning their shoes and the following morning they have the gifts of the Magi that they have requested before in a letter. According to this tradition, the children who have behaved badly during the last year receive coal rather than candy, though (as in the case of Santa Claus) this is not a frequent occurrence. They might get coal candy, though.
March 19 Father's Day
April 23 - San Jordi's day
Valentine's day reminds me a little to San Jordi's day, is tipical on 23 April in Catalonia, nowdays becoming popular in the rest of Spain, that couples give each other gifts.
In Sant Jordi, the girl must give to man a book and man give a rose to the girl.
1 May - Labour Day
The labor day is celebrated every 1th of May, all labor unions and workers celebrated this festivity and the right to have an 8-hour workday.
May 6 - Mother's Day.
October 12 - Dia de la hipanidad.
'El dia de la hipanidad' is the national day of Spain. It is held annually on October 12 and is a national holiday.
this day is the anniversary of Christopher Columbus' first arrival in the Americas. Since 2000, October 12 has also been Spain's Day of the Armed Forces, celebrated each year with a military parade in Madrid.
To commemorate it, there is a parade led by the military (usually held in Madrid) presided by the Spanish King (*in the pic you can see the King and the Prince), who is the Head of State, since Spain is politically organized as a constitutional monarchy. The Prime Minister of Spain (Presidente del Gobierno) has also a special role in the ceremony, only second to that of the King. Then a wide array of authorities, from foreign diplomats deployed in Spain to members of the Autonomous governments, are invited to attend the parade performed by the Spanish Armed Forces, which typically feature a display by the Spanish Air Force's aerobatics team, the Patrulla Águila. Other than this, however, the holiday is not widely or enthusiastically celebrated in Spain; there are no other large-scale patriotic parades, marches, or other events, and the observation is generally overshadowed by the feast day of Our Lady of the Pilar.
November 1 - All Saints Day.
It's a national holiday in many historically Catholic countries. In Spain too, is
tipical go to the graveyard to visit your deads relatives to bring them offerings as flowers or candles.
Anyway nowadays it's becoming very popular to celebrate Halloween in the american style. Youth like dressed halloween costumes and go out with friends
December 6 - Constitution Day.
In Spain, the Constitution Day is Celebrated December 6. It's a holiday in Spain to commemorate the conclusion of the 1978 Constitutional Referendum in which the Spanish people overwhelmingly approved the current Spanish Constitution, in force since then.
Is a holiday in Spain and various events are held in honor of the 1978 constitution.
How have you been? sorry for my delay I was kinda busy with my studies to post something in the blog. ^_^
Tonight I'd like to introduce you the Tomato festival (la tomatina) This festival is well known all over the world. La tomatina is held in Buñol not far away from Valencia in the last Wednesday of August... so you can take the train from Valencia.
If you want to enjoy this lovely village, i recommend you to visit the castle built in the 13th century, the Roquillo bridge (500 m walking from the city centre), and the several fountains and gardens of the old town. 
