Europe's Festivals

The following sample essay on festivals tells about Europe’s festivals.

Europe is the Western world’s social powerhouse from various points of perspective. The continent is the dream place for globetrotters with its languages, people, and a lengthy and rich history. There is no doubt that Europe’s festivals are the biggest yet the weirdest in the world!

Spaniards seem to have a thing for throwing, especially throwing food at each other. La Tomatina is an annual festival held in Valencia, a city in southern Spain.

La Tomatina isn’t the only tomatoes tossing festival in the world but it’s certainly the most well-known. It only began in the 1940s and today as many as 50,000 people descent on banal to be covered in the red sticky mess (Russell-Cowan). It begun when some disgruntled residents pelted the town councilors with tomatoes and it stuck around. Everyone who participates in the festival also helps to clean up afterwards.

Who has wine to waste? That the first question I asked when I heard Battala Del Vino.

The wine throwing fight in Spain. This goes back to the 13th century. They say it’s over a piece of land and the dispute has been going on ever since. The battle of wine festival is celebrated every summer on June 29 in the town of Haro in the La Rioja region of northern Spain. Thousands of locals gather to take part in wine drinking contests in a Battala Del Vino where they pour red wine at each other from buckets.

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Ivrea, an Italian city that hosts the yearly battle of the oranges. It is probably the oldest organized food fight in Italy. It has its origins in the 12th century. This oranges fight started as a celebration to commemorate the town’s victory over a terrible tyrant who oppressed the people. They did not always use oranges. They used to throw beans and even apples. It was in the 19th century that oranges started being used. In addition, they say in 1994, they used around five hundred and eighty thousand pounds of oranges, which is obviously a big waste of oranges!

Going back to Spain who seemed to have all the fun and partake in their annual grape throwing. It takes place in the last Friday in August. In addition, if you find yourself in Valencia, you are bound to be hit with a few of the grapes from their 40 to 90 tons that they have already. The festival began in the 1930s. This festival signals the end of the grape harvest. The main attractions include a grape-stomping competition, grape-throwing fight, and lots of fun, which attracts thousands of visitors every year. It is said that, the reason of the celebration dates back to the Roman period, when it was acquainted as a route with dispose of the awful grapes before the winter. Since local people were not extremely sure with how to manage the grapes that are bad enough to make great wine, they began to toss them at one another for making fun. This tradition kept on growing until now.

This might look like a war picture, but it is actually a celebration. Clean Monday Flour War is an epic battle of color that tale place in Galaxidi on Greece’s mainland. The common term for this day Clean Monday refers to the leaving behind of sinful attitudes and non-fasting food. In celebration of Clean Monday which also marks the end of carnival season, and the beginning of the Greek Orthodox Lent Fast. It begins with the ringing of cowbells and everyone springs into action dousing each other with as much flour as possible.

For 200 years a battle has taken place in Ibi, Alicante, Spain. Not battled with swords or firearms, however with flour and eggs. On December 28th of every year the town celebrates Els Enfarinats, which is better known as the Flour Fight Festival. During this celebration, people collect money, all money collected is given to charity, and it is all done in great fun.