From throwing tomatoes in Bunol, Spain, tuna in Port Lincoln, Australia, and oranges in Ivrea, Italy to carving radishes in Oaxaca, Mexico and chasing cheese down a hill in Gloucestershire, England.
La Tomatina, Bunol, Spain
On the last Wednesday in August, the population of this small town near Valencia gets together to throw overripe tomatoes at each other. As part of a week-long festival that features a paella cook-off the night before, the carnage starts after a member of the townsfolk climbs a pole to grab a fresh ham. As soon as the ham is down, it’s every man for himself as tomatoes are hurled wildly at anything that moves. The mayhem then continues for an hour or two until everyone looks like a pizza base and a cannon is fired to tell them all to calm down.
The Battle of the Oranges, Ivrea, Italy
The residents of this North-West Italian town take the whole fruit-throwing thing one step more violent. Just before lent every year, they spend a few days throwing oranges at each other with scarcely concealed bloodlust. The oranges supposedly symbolise the head of an ancient duke, who was beheaded by an angry local who objected to his ducal ‘right’ to sleep with any of the town’s women. One thing is for certain, though; the oranges really, really hurt, especially when it’s cold and they’re nearly frozen.
The Night of the Radishes, Oaxaca, Mexico
Whilst most of us save it all up for Christmas Eve, the residents of Oaxaca have their big celebration on December 23rd. For some unknown reason, thought to be linked to Spanish missionaries, they live it up by sculpting radishes into all manner of weird and wonderful forms. The pink vegetables will be carved into anything from small woodland animals to scale models of carnivals. And then, within 24 hours, it’s all gone to waste as the radishes – some of which are chemically enhanced so that they’re half a metre high – start to go rotten.
Tunarama, Port Lincoln, South Australia
The highlight of this celebration of all things fishy – next due to be held on January 26th, 27th and 28th – is the tuna toss. It’s a bit like the Olympic hammer, but with a large fish rather than a metal ball and chain, and it’s open to anyone who fancies themselves. The rules of the competition dictate that the tuna must weigh between eight and ten kilos, while the current record is held by former Olympian Sean Carlin. He managed to hurl his soon-to-be sandwich filling 37.23 metres.
Cheese-rolling, Gloucestershire, England
Every year on the last Monday in May, hundreds of locals and international tourists risk serious injury, charging down a steep hill after an accelerating Double Gloucester cheese. Following the event, Cooper’s Hill tends to resemble a battlefield as combatants, caked in mud, clutch sprained ankles and knees. The idea is to catch the cheese as it hurtles down at speeds of up to 70km/h, but in practice, this is fairly tough to achieve until it reaches the bottom, given both the velocity and the head start it has over the scrambling runners. It has now become an international event – a New Zealander winning this year’s ladies race.
This article was originally written for the Sydney Sun-Herald. Copyright David Whitley.
