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. | 究竟是誰牽頭擲出第一個蕃茄,就那麽一擲便擲出一場翻天覆地的蕃茄革命?天曉得!這或許是一場跟法國對着幹的抗爭,又或許是一場失了控的狂歡大會。最廣泛流傳的說法是,1945年有巨型牽線紙漿玩偶出巡的特內里費節舉行期間,一群當地人要靠自導自演一場打鬥戲來吸引一些目光。他們就地取材,從身旁運載蔬菜的貨車一把抓起熟透的蕃茄猛擲。圍觀的人也無辜遭殃,場面失控,最終升級至一場水果滿天飛的大混戰。滋事者都得向蕃茄商賠錢,但這也阻不了以後的日子上演一場又一場的蕃茄戰——一項新傳統就此誕生。 在50年代,有關當局惟恐無力駕馭一次比一次激烈的混亂場面,多條禁令相繼出台;禁令曾經一度放寬,但其後又恢復施行。1951年,違令的當地人都被收監,一直到群眾高呼要求釋放這批人,這批人才獲釋放。違反禁令最放肆最矚目的一次發生在1957年,當年支持違令的人抬出一副棺材沿街遊行,模擬為蕃茄舉行葬禮。1957年之後,當地政府決定不再以硬碰硬,倒制定一兩條合用的規例,接納了如此怪誕的傳統。 雖然一周的慶典活動是由蕃茄領盡風騷,但是全城傾力籌辦的好戲卻是留在後頭。這是Buñol的一場慶典,主角是當地民眾敬仰的聖母瑪利亞和聖路易德郎。當天街上有隊伍巡遊,又有充滿西班牙情調的音樂和煙火助慶,處處充滿歡樂笑聲。蕃茄戰前夕先來享用西班牙肉菜飯,獨有的巴倫西亞番紅花米飯配海鮮,再灑點橄欖油,飽餐一頓,好好增強體力。 現今,這場不受約束的節慶在安排上也算得上有規有矩。統籌者老早栽種一種質劣難吃的蕃茄供給這場年度盛事專用。慶祝活動約在早上10時開始,時間一到,參加者便爭相爬上一根油膩膩的木竿,要抓下那條掛在竿頂上的火腿。街上旁觀的則邊唱邊跳地向爬竿的人灑水。教堂的正午鐘聲一響,一輛輛裝滿蕃茄的貨車緩緩進城,沿途一聲聲的「蕃 —— 茄,蕃 —— 茄」將全場氣氛推到沸點。 水炮聲隨之響起,主打活動正式開始。此時,參加者像司機見到綠燈便開車一樣,隨即將手中蕃茄搓爛,然後用勁擲向其他參加者。有人將蕃茄拋得遠遠的,有人近距離偷襲,也有人來招中距離勾手攻擊。不論你的技術如何,蕃茄戰結束時,你的看相(心情也是)會與先前大不相同。只消一句鐘左右,街上便變成蕃茄浴池,在稀巴爛的醬液中只殘餘一丁點兒蕃茄痕跡,也剩下滿身蕃茄醬渣的群眾互擲蕃茄,玩得不亦樂乎。第二響水炮聲宣布蕃茄戰正式結束。 |