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Spain isn't short of festivals that border on madness - as anyone who has witnessed the running of the bulls in Pamplona, or the pyrotechnics of Las Fallas in Valencia will attest - but La Tomatina in Bunol, south of Barcelona is right up there!

La Tomatina tomato fight in Buñol near Valencia happens every year on the last Wednesday in August though the partying starts earlier in the week. The highlight of the festival is the tomato fight which takes place between 11am and 1pm on that day.

The event has become one of the highlights on Spain's summer festivals calendar with thousands of people flocking to this little Valencian town for this chaotic event. Most young visitors book Barcelona weekend breaks and take the train to Bunyol for the day.

Such are the numbers going to La Tomatina that the event has become a victim of its own success. The sheer number of people means that it's extremely difficult to get anywhere near the central area where the tomato lorries arrive so you may well find yourself a few streets away from the main action. Never mind, there are plenty people in the same boat and the street partying goes on no matter where you are.

History and Origins of La Tomatina
There is no one definitive version of how La Tomatina started, but the tradition of a tomato fight has taken place in Bunol since at least 1944, although the festival was banned during much of the Franco years for having no religious significance - it was revived with gusto in the 1970s. Theories on why the first tomato fight took place include a food fight among friends, a juvenile class ware between bare-footed Trotskyist macarras and upper class pijos from Madrid on summer vacation, a volley of tomatoes from bystanders at a carnival parade, the rubbishing of a bad musician, a democratic protest against the city council and (our favourite) the ensuing aftermath of an accidental truck spillage. Whatever the cause, the folk of Bunol obviously thought it was a mighty grand idea and promptly re-invoked the tradition the following year! Today from 20,000 to 50,000 people come from all over the world to get fruity with one another!

Rules of La Tomatina
The following rules have been set down by the Bunyol Town Council:
1.It is illegal to bring any kind of bottles or other objects that could cause an accident.
2.You must not tear t-shirts.
3.Tomatoes must be crushed before throwing so that they don't hurt anybody you must be careful to avoid the Lorries which carry the tomatoes.
4.As soon as you hear the 2nd banger you must stop throwing tomatoes.

"Try to enjoy yourself as much as possible but respect these rules and the people. In the "tomatina" festival there has never been a mishap and we would like it to stay that way so everybody around the world can have a good time."

About the Author:
Steve is an author of this article and through this article he shares his views about Holidays in Goa so book your Flights to India now and for more info about attractions of Goa you can also visit http://www.ticketstoindia.co.uk