La Tomatina(Tomato festival) - Spain

Have you ever thought a whole village is painted by tomatoes? Yes you may have because this is very famous. There is a festival that throwing tomatoes each others and dripping wet with tomatoes. People in this festival fight each others with throwing tomatoes. The sight wil be pretty fun and stress away. The festival is known as tomato festival and the real name is La tomatina.

La Tomatina has two origins. Fisrs is in 1944, price of toamto went to down and the farmers were getting angry and threw tomato to councilors. And it was started at Bunol, Spain. To celebrate to achievement of demonstration. They threw tomatoes to reminate this demonstration. This is first origin of La Tomatina. Second origin is this. In Wendsday of last week of August, 1945, band music was marching village open space. And there was people who wanted to participate the festival and they pushed band music people and band music people threw anything that they grasped and that anything was tomatoes. And the tomato battle was started, this tomato battle is second origin of La Tomatina.

On the oiled tree, there is hamon which is traditional food that leg of pig preserved in salt several years. The festival starts when hamon is pulled. Every wednesday last week of August, tomato batlle happens. Tomato festival hols in Bunol, Spain. Before starting festival, people who live in Bunol cover their buildings and window. Everythings turn into red because of tomato. And after 1 or 2 hours, the tomato festival finishes with fireworks. If you throw tomato after fireworks, you may pay lots of fee. It will be helpful to stress out. City hall buys tomatoes in several places and the amount of tomato is 12million kg.

Here is tip for tomato festival. You need old T-shirt and shoes for easily throw away. If you have long hair, then you may need swimming cap because the sediments is hard to remove. You need tough shirt to prevent the be ripped. You must not things seem like bottle. You have to throw mashed tomato. You must stop when the second sign rings.

Palio festival - Italy

City of Siena which is located in middle of Italy is crazy at traditional palio festival in July 2nd and August 16th. In medieval, Siena was independent republic and Siena was not that peaceful due to battle with near citys. Especially, battle with Firenze which was rival country lasted hundreds years. Siena won at Montaperti war in 1260 september 4th and got prosperity. However, since attacking of Firenze, Siena was incorporated at Tuscany in 16century. Palio festival was started to celebrate of Montaperti war and it lasts so far and shows old glory of Siena.

Palion which means horse race without saddle is come from Latin 'Pallium' and it means rectangle flag which is given to race winner. Palio is a race that among 17 contrades, only 10 contrades can participate in the race. Contrade was military machine in medieval. 7 contrades which cannot participate in the race do race in next time and extra 3 teams can participate by sortilege. The race starts at 7:30p.m and finishes after 90 seconds.

However, traditional Palio festival is more famous for before festival with medieval traditional clothes. From 4:00p.m, 10 contrades parade up and down through alleys with medieval knight clothes. In earnest, Palio festival starts when parades arrive at Piazza de Campo at 5:00p.m. Each parades arrive at Piazza de Campo and people who wait before noon shout and the shouting is going to crazy.

In 2 hours, parades throw flag and do many events and when they go out, the race is starting. 10 riders arrive at start line and then the open space is going to silence. The race is this; they go around Piazza de Campo 3 times. In this short 90 seconds, the race is finished. It is very short moment but in this short moment is extremly excited and it is hard to imagine without no experience. Not only love to their contrade, but also batting increase the exciting.

With shart sign, the festival is going to madness. Although it is short time, there is last 1year in the sweat. Rider can hit other horses so that after the race contrades sometimes fight each others. But polic do not try to stop the fighting. Because the fighting after the race is also part of history. The winner get honor and is regarded to hero.

Palio festival became civil festival at 1482 and Siena horse racing was started from 1275. It has very long history.

Boryeong Mud Festival - Korea

These days, I feel my skin is getting dirty. Acne and skin trouble are bothering me. So I looked for something good for my skin, not unnatural thing. While looking for, something was attracted my eyes. It was post of Boryeong mud festival. And it said mud is very good for skin. And then, I came home and search for mud festival. And here is informations.

Boryeong mud festival had short period but it will be make you happy. It can be called the best festival of Korea. It starts at third Saturday of July to Sunday, 8days. The title is mud which is produced in Boryeong, Korea. You can experience how good mud is. Not only mud, but also you can enjoy playing in the water.

You can play in the water and enjoy many events in mud festival. There are only mud and some rides. Then how can this festival be famous? It is because first mud is very good for skin. Mud helps to keep your skin  soft and supple. And mud is effective in preventing aging skin. Also, it is good for kind trouble and atopy. In addition, here's mud is all natural thing. Second, here's sea shore is different from other common sea shore. Sand looks more bright and when you touch it it will be more soft than other common sand.  It is because this sea shore is made up of pieces of calms. This is only white sand beach made up of calms in the East. Third, Boryreong mud is better than mud of Dead sea, Israel.

You may think 'Then, how can they spend time in 8 days? Isn't it boring?' But the answer is "NO". Not only mud massage, but also you can enjoy sliding, climbing backward mud slide. In addtion, mud contest, making toys with mud is good stuff. And at night, famous Korean entertainers are coming and do concert. Most of things are free and some thing is only less than 10dallors. It will very good for mentally and phisically also.

Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts - England

Today, I am going to talk about Glastonbury festival. If anyone who loves music, they will love this festival. I like music also. If your ordinary life is bored, then I recommend to go to Glastonbury festival. However, I want to go there unless I am not boring. It is one of the best music festivals in the world. Anyway, let's go to deeply about Glastonbury festival.

In 1970 September 19th, a farmer who loves music so much held a music festival. It was after Jimi Hendrix who is concerned about the best guitarist in 20C dead. The farmer, Michael Eavis invited musicians to his farm and held a festival. And this festival keeps going so far. It gathered numerous people and huge musicians. Despite the farm is sank by rain, and the public facilities are weak, the people do not stop to go to Glastonbury festival. Glastonbury festival is a culture or history. Not only that, also Glastonbury shows the culture of the public among the people.

Not all people like this festival. Dwellers believed legend that Glastonbury was the resting place of King Arthur and Joseph brought Jesus' calyx. So they have holy proud and try to keep the holiness of their area. Like this, in Glastonbury festival, there are two groups of people which enjoy the festival and refuse the festival. 

Just the line Up is fantastic. You can see the cream of the crop of England musician. There are several stages for each theme. They are located far away to protect to mixed music. To go to other stage is so far and the mud field makes me more tired. Although the festival is in these unfavorable conditions, many people come here. If you travel England in June, it will be good experience to go to the festival. At each stage, not only sing, but also circus, drama, comedy, dance, cabaret and etc, various stuffs are ready. 

I am not good at English. So If you find something wrong or wrong grammar or something, leave comment. 

Thank You

Arena di Vorona festival - Italy

If we think opera, we imagine luxury and elegance. When we say an arena, then we think blood and cruel things. Then, can you imagine combination of opera and arena? It will be a hard question but actually there is a festival which holds in arena. It is opera festival which is held in Verona, Italy. Verona is familiar because it is background of Romeo and Juliet. The starting Verona opera was in 1913 to celebrate 100th of Giuseppe Verdi. And then it became famous. At that time, Some Verdi's opera was played under Tullio Serafin who was a leading Italian opera conductor. Many famous musician watched this performance and after this, it was developed to opera festival to represent of Verona. It lets audience to visit Verona and in just summer time, over five hundred thousand people come to watch opera.

Arena festival is international open field opera. Arena stadium was made in 120~13 in Rome era but it preserves well and it can hold about 20000 people. 1/4 is for stage and 3/4 and floor are for audience. The origin purpose of arena was fighting ground or hunting wild beast. Arena means sand in Latin and it was named because they paved sand on the bottom of stadium. After Rome era, it was used by execution ground or fighting ground of knights. In the end of 16 century, it was used to event ground by men of power and in the end of 18 century, it was used to bull fighting ground or performing ground. Even though it is open field stadium, we can hear little tiny itty bitty sound.

Opera performs 5 operas June to October in every year. Among them, "Aida" is very popular. Usually opera starts at 9:00P.M and does performance around 4 hours. And it is famous for letting watcher to hold candle before opera start. In break time, they sell snack and cushion but it is too expensive. Therefore it will be good to buy that kink of stuffs before noon. It is doing at open field so it has advantage that you have good sight and wind but if is rain performance will be canceled. After opera, it will be 1:00 A.M so there is no train. So you should stay one day. Although sleeping is a problem, it will be good to watch opera to low price.

Sapporo Snow Festival - Japan

Winter is cold. So I dislike to go to outside and hang around. But an intersting thing is attracting me. If someone who likes festival and canival will like and love it. When you go to a wedding hall, you may see snow statues. It is very beautiful and enough to attract sights. But it is the tip of the iceberg. There are many and huge snow statues in Sapporo snow festival. The snow statues are made very detaily and exquisitly. From now on I am going to explain about sapporo snow festival. It is the one of the famous festival in the world.

 The average temperature is -3.5℃. Despite it is so cold, Sapporo snow festival is very famous. Sapporo overcomed that Sapporo is cold. The number of visitors is over two millions. So, it is good time to advertise Japan, Sapporo, traditional food and something like that. In addition, the snow was used 6500 of 5tons truck. It is huge amount. Period is 7days and it holds 4 places; Odori park, Makomanai, Nakajima, and Susukino. There is no enough time to look around all things. So many people look around odori park. Odori park is heart of Sapporo because every subway pass Odori station. Sapporo is famous for noodle, beer, and diary prosucts.

  

When we see snow statues that made up of  snow and ice, it is just beautiful. However, it this beauty, there is pain of world war II. Saporro snow festival was started to overcome the losing of world war II. At that time, middle students made snow statues at the park. First, students made just for fun. After that, snow fighting, carnival and displaying of snow statues were done. Although it was small festival fifty thousands people visited after it developed more big festival. In 1967, it became more detail and main thema. At that time, Sapooro Olympic was held and it was well known. And then the visitors were increasing and it became very famous and huge festival in the world. So it became a good rest place to dejected Japanese.

It is good for children also. There are lots of place for children. There are some palce that can play with parents. Also, we can see comic book characters.

Not only snow statues, music concert, ski show, and singing contest. You may not bored.

Oktoberfest - Germany

If we say "BEER", then we will imagine Germany. Germany is the 1st country that consumed beer. Not only that also the kinds of beers that produced in Germany are over 4000. Beer is almost close at common drink because of lacking of water. In 1516, Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria said that beer have to be brewed from barley, hops, and water. It is because beer is a common drink like water so he did not want to add harmful things in beer. Anyway today I want to talk about Oktoberfest.de (october+festival) which is one of the famous festival in the world.

Oktoberfest.de is also called beer festival. Beer festival period is in 3rd week of September to 1st week of October, 16days. Beer festival is held in Munich, Germany. Origin of Oktoberfest.de is in October 17th 1810, the wedding of the Bavarian King, Max Joshph and princess Therese. To celebrate them, the music festival was played during 5days. Every year they reenacted their traditional clothes and paraded. But it was not that big. After 8years, the real beer festival was held and the beer festival's meaning is thanks giving.

At first, citizens who put on make up to king, queen, noble, farmer, and acrobat parade from Wilhelm Richard Wagner to open ground in front of city hall. Then the mayor of Munich shows off the first produced 6 degrees beer and declares the starting of festival with fireworks. Band that wears tracht which is the traditional clothes sings songs and dance.


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In Theresienwise which is the open ground around 20 tents are set up and sell beer, chicken and some meat that can eat with beer. And there is only 1L size of glass.

 

Oktoverfest.de is so famous so during this period, there is no place to sleep even sit if you not register few month before. In 1999, around 6million 80hundred thousands people invited this festival. They consumed 6million liter of beer, 63hundred thousands chickens, and 79cows and over 1000 companies of Germany beer was participated. After, in 2000 it was over 700million people and the amount of visitors is increasing. The incoming is over 30thousand million marks.

 

Rio De Jeneiro Carnival - Brazil



I am going to introduce a one of the best and famous festival in the world. This famous well known festival is Rio Carnival. You may think Samba when you hear a word “carnival.” Besides, you may hear “Samba Dance.” Samba dance is from Rio Carnival so Rio Carnival is also called "Samba Festival.” The origin of carnival came from Latin, carne vale which means "meat, stop.” 

Rio Carnival is held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in between the end of February and the first of March for 4 days. During these 4 days, the festival does not stop even night. This festival is biggest festival in the world. So there are some samba schools. Anyway, the core of festival is Samba Parade. There is a huge place that does Samba Parade. Rio Carnival is like a contest of samba. Many teams resister and participate this festival. Around 4 thousand people are in one team and they parade around 90minutes. They show their dance and performance. The panels of judges judge their parade and they choose winner. Participants prepare their parade 1year for just this festival. They parade in sambodromo which is main stadium and can accommodate about 70 thousand people. Over 60000 visitors come to Brazil to enjoy the Rio Carnival.
 

Rio Carnival was not big from first. Until the first of 1930, it was just a normal street festival. After that Samba schools was established and they parade as each school and it develop such as this biggest festival.

                                                          Old Rio Carnival

When you watch or hear Rio Carnival through TV or media, the participants and people who dance in the carnival look all happy. Now days Rio carnival is always happy and everybody enjoy it. Did you know that Rio carnival was from their painful history? Samba was started by Africans who were brought by Portuguese. Portuguese drive out native Indian who lived in south America and they planted sugar cane in huge ground and they needed slave and many slaves were taken to South America to work. African missed their hometown and starving and hard working made them tired. They were free only during lent time because Portuguese permitted to rest only lent time. It was only time that they could stress out and tired so that they were dancing and singing. Therefore, Rio Ceremony was mixed with lent ceremony form and African’s traditional percussion instruments and dancing. We should know the origin of festival in short.

As Baseball or basketball or festival, it has big difference between watching through TV and participating in there. Especially, Samba festival is. It is impossible to explain by writing. You will feel and understand when you go there and see with your eyes and listen with your ears and shake your body together. You may like and out of control the delight.

                                                          Rio Carnival

The city of Pamplona ! San Fermin festival

You may watch some videos or pictures that a man holds a red cotton and a bull tries to crash with that cotton or some people run away from bulls. These are part of San Fermin festival. This festival is very well known and very huge festival. In July 6th 12a.m,  many people gather infront of cityhall and shout "Hooray San Fermin!" and then fireworks are popped and the participants throw eggs and burst the champagne. This festival is for celebrate Sir San Fermin who was bishop of Spain.

The highlight is bull running that is held at every 8a.m during the festival time. The participants ready to running away and they run away after gunshot. After second gunfire, 6bulls get free and run after the runners. From Santo Domingo breeding farm to place of bullfighting, they run away and it takes about 3minutes. Although 3 minutes is short time, people can die or hurt. So, some people disagree bull running. However, the popularity is still enormous because, many people want to feel thrill and every people who died were all drunken people.  

But if you want to be safe, you can view the bull running away from the road. And if you want to view the bull running safety and do not want to get hurt, you can lend balcony from the owner and view in safety. You can sleep in the street or anywhere which you can sleep. It only allows to sleep in the street during the festival time.

Main part of San Fermin festival is Bull fighting. It is very famous and popular. After bull running, a bullfighter comes into bullring and bull also come in. Bullfighting is not a match that does alone. There are sub bullfighters and they make the bull angry. Then, the caballero who ride a horse stabs bull and then, main bullfighter does bullfight. And a band come up and plays songs. As bull' strength is gone, the bullfighter stab on the back of bull. If the bull does not die, stab again.

After killing, spectators raise white hankie if they satisfy at this match. According the appraisal, the evaluation is done and bullfighter can cut the ears or tail of bull.