Archive · 26 Aug 2026
La Tomatina’s Strange Origins and Tomato-Stained Aftermath in Buñol
La Tomatina is a festival where people throw tomatoes at one another.
It started in Buñol, Spain, in 1945.
During a parade, some young people began fighting near a vegetable stand.
They grabbed tomatoes and used them in the fight.
People watching thought the chaos was entertaining.
The town later repeated the tomato-throwing as a tradition.
Officials banned the event briefly in 1950.
Residents held a pretend tomato funeral to protest, and the festival was brought back.
La Tomatina began after a street fight during a 1945 parade in Buñol, Spain.
Young people involved in the fight threw tomatoes taken from a nearby vegetable stand.
Onlookers enjoyed the incident, which later became a recurring town tradition.
Authorities briefly banned the festival in 1950.
Residents staged a mock tomato funeral and successfully pushed for the festival’s reinstatement.
- Who
- Young people, onlookers, and residents of Buñol were involved in the tradition’s origins and revival.
- What
- A street fight involving tomatoes evolved into La Tomatina, a recurring tomato-throwing festival.
- When
- The tradition began in 1945 and was briefly banned in 1950 before being reinstated.
- Where
- Buñol, in Valencia, Spain.
- Why
- The festival began after onlookers enjoyed a tomato fight and residents later sought to continue the tradition after its ban.
- Festival
- La Tomatina
- Origin
- A street fight during a local parade
- Origin year
- 1945
- Location
- Buñol, Valencia, Spain
- Tomatoes’ source
- A nearby vegetable stand
- Ban
- The festival was briefly banned in 1950
- Revival action
- Residents staged a mock tomato funeral