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. | 是谁扔出的番茄造就了今天的番茄大战?没人知道。或许是个反抗弗朗哥的战士,又或许是源自某个疯狂的嘉年华。最流行的说法是,在1945年的巨人节(纸木偶大游行)上,某些当地人为了引人注目而故意为之。他们发现了附近的一辆运菜车,就开始扔番茄。旁观的人也加入进来,直到演变成了一场蔬菜大战。第一个这样做的人不得不赔偿卖菜人,但这并不会阻止事情再发生。一个新的传统诞生了。 由于害怕活动失去控制,在20世纪50年代,当地政收紧,放松,又重申了一系列禁令。1951年,违反禁令者被投入监狱,后在公众要求下释放。最著名的反禁令活动要数1957年,提倡者为番茄举行的一次葬礼。他们抬着番茄的棺材,招摇过市。1957年后,当地政府决定接受事实,只设定了一些基本规则,便接受了这个奇怪的传统。 在番茄大战的压轴大戏之前,当地有一个星期的节日庆祝活动。人民以西班牙的方式游行、歌唱、燃放焰火,以此庆祝布尼奥尔守护神,圣女玛丽和圣路易斯·贝特朗。在番茄大战的前一晚,人们一定要吃西班牙海鲜饭来积蓄力量。那是典型的瓦伦西亚式吃法,米饭、海鲜、藏红花和橄榄油。 今天,这个不受约束的节日并不会陷入混乱。组织者甚至会为了这个一年一度的活动,特意种植一种不好吃的番茄。狂欢上午十点开始。参加者们哄抢放在一个涂满油脂的杆子顶端的火腿。围观者则唱着跳着,向他们身上浇水。当正午的钟声敲响,装满番茄的卡车开进来,“番~茄~,番~茄~”的喊声一浪高过一浪。 然后,随着水炮的发射,活动正式开始,参与者们就可以火力全开,用压扁的番茄攻击别的参与者了。长距离乱射,近距离点射,还有中距离勾射。不管你用什么技巧,结束后,你都会由内而外完全不同。差不多一个小时后,泡在番茄里的人们在黏黏的、红色的海中乱舞。没有什么可以看出是个番茄。又一个水炮声结束了这场战斗。 |