Spanish Festival of Els Enfarinats Celebrated With Flour Fight

Dec 31, 2011 1 comments

No festival in Spain is complete without a bizarre tradition like throwing tomatoes or running in front of bulls or jumping over babies. The annual festival of Els Enfarinats is celebrated with flour and egg fights. Els Enfarinats takes place in the town of Ibi in Alicante, Spain on December 28 as part of celebrations related to the Day of the Innocents. In the day long festival, participants dressed in mock military dress stage a mock coup pretending to take over the town. Dressed in a slovenly manner, they enter banks and shops stirring up trouble in a good-humoured way, imposing fines on shopkeepers and bankers, mocking local dignitaries and reading humorous speeches. Those who oppose are assaulted with flour cakes and eggs.

The tradition's origins are unclear, but it is believed to have grown from the ancient Feast of Fools, or Fiesta de los Locos, once part of the old Roman festival of Saturnalia. The tradition is is over 200 years old.

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Photos:Jamie Reina AFP/Getty Images

Sources: 1, 2

Comments

  1. We need more of these to release anger and aggression. Maybe crime wouldn't be so high in America. Although, with the lack of self-esteem so prevalent here, many would probably take things personal and turn it to real violence...

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