Wild Food Fight Festivals in the World and their History
Your parents told you not to waste food, but these food fight festivals are just too awesome to ignore.
These are not just crazy and fun food fight festivals but also have a great history. From, how do they get started? and how they become so popular.
We’ve picked some of the world’s best food fight festivals and try to learn more about them.
La Tomatina
Tomato throwing festival, Bunol, Spain, August
La Tomatina is the world’s biggest food fight festival and one of the newest. La Tomatina festival takes place in the Valencian town of Buñol in Spain on the last Wednesday of august.
It involves participants throwing crushed tomatoes at each other. In recent years festival gets popularity because of its appearance in multiple films and inspired events in the other part of the world, The history of the La Tomatina festival is contested and unclear, but some say it started in 1945 as part of the protest whereas some suggest that a few teenagers started it. But one thing is confirmed for sure and that is it started around the same time as it was first to get banned in the 1950s by the authorities but soon after the ban lifts off due to the protest by the locals in the form of the burial of tomatoes.
La Battaglia delle Arance
Orange throwing festival, Ivrea, Italy
Ivre’s battle of Orangnes is the largest food fight festival in Italy which lasts for three days. It symbolizes the city’s defiance against the city’s tyrants and oranges represent weapons and stones.
The history of the origin of the battle of oranges or La Battaglia delle Arance is unclear but it is believed that it started in the 12th century when the baron has overthrown thanks to the rebellion of a miller’s daughter, Violetta who had just gotten married and refused to follow the rule in which the baron raped any woman on her wedding night. Violetta went to the castle and used the opportunity to behead the baron and become the final push for the people to revolt and destroy the castle to establish a free municipality.
Every year citizens remember their liberation with the battle of oranges, in which people of the town are divided into nine combat teams. Teams of aranceri throw oranges against aranceri riding in carts.
Festa des Vermar
Grape Throwing festival of Mallorca, Mallorca, September
Festa des Vermar or the grape-throwing festival is held every year on the last weekend of September in Binissalem Village of Mallorca in Spain. The festival lasts two weeks.
Festa des Vermar is a celebration of the harvest of grapes. the festival includes a grape-stomping competition, a wine-tasting event and grape throwing fight, etc.
The history of the origin of this festival is not clear but it seems like it started in Roman times as a celebration of the good harvest season and removing the non-useful grapes and getting rid of it before the winter.
La Batalla de Vino
Haro Wine War Food Fight, Spain, June
La Batalla de vino or Haro wine war festival is held every year in June in the town of Haro in Spain to celebrate the saints of San Juan, San Felices, and San Pedro. The festival starts with wine-drinking competitions and an epic battle of wine where wines are poured onto each other.
The battle starts with the parade of horsemen who leads the people to the Hermitage of San Felices de Bilibio, where the flag is placed ceremonially before masses, and there after the battle begins. Then at noon, everyone returns to town to celebrate at the Plaza de la Paz.
Clean Monday Flour War
Greek Flour War, Galaxidi, Greece, March
Clean Monday Flour War signifies the start of the Greek Orthodox Lent Period. It is celebrated in the small fishing village of Galaxidi with colored flour. Everyone in the town bombards each other with colored flour.
It is believed that the Greek Flour war started in 1801 as a symbol of resistance to the Ottoman Empire.
World Custard Pie Championship
Custard Pie throwing festival, Coxheath England, June
Yes, it is really a championship where the teams through pie’s at each using their left hand and for each hit they get points.
It was started in 1967 as a way to raise funds for the village hall. People from all over the world come not just to watch this epic event but also to participate.
Setsubun
The Bean Festival, Japan, February
Setsubun or the bean-throwing festival is celebrated every year on 3rd February to mark the beginning of spring.
This is a traditional festival in which bean throwing is believed to get rid of evil spirits that bring misfortune and trouble.