An over ripe tomato smashes into the face of an AP Spanish student, and before they even have a chance to wipe it off, another tomato doubles the mess.
“It was crazy and fun,” said junior Payton Hanby.
The Tomatina was held at Murphy Park Sept. 18. Participation in the Tomatina wasn’t only limited to students at Har-Ber, but the AP Spanish students from Springdale High School as well. The Tomatina lasted two hours including clean up.
“This was the fifth annual Tomatina,” said Spanish teacher Ellen Rainey. “We thought that since they were already reading about it, that students would have fun participating in it.”
The Tomatina is a reenactment of the real holiday festival in Bunol, Spain. In Spain, the festival is held on the last Wednesday of August, and consists of the throwing of squished over ripe tomatoes. The festival was established after an unplanned incident where a couple of young men got in fight and started throwing tomatoes at each other and the tradition began.
“It’s been amazing to experience a real holiday and to see what Spain is about,” said Hanby.
In preparation for the Tomatina, multiple companies were called to get enough tomatoes for the reenactment. The fire fighters were called and asked to help clean up the park and “hose down” the students after the Tomatina ended. They were happy to oblige. The AP Spanish students also had to research the festival. They had to read about the history, traditions, and even the rules of the Tomatina.
“AP Spanish read a poem about the Tomatina by Oda Altomate,” said Rainey. “It helps them understand the society from the inside out.”
Both Springdale and Har-Ber students will remember this tomato filled afternoon. The Tomatina was a fun cultural experience for all that were involved.
“I enjoyed the Tomatina,” said senior Spencer Erikson. “My favorite part was getting to hit people with the tomatoes.”