![\"12-08-30-Tomatina-galeria-13-1152x720\"](\"https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/12-08-30-Tomatina-galeria-13-1152x720.jpg\")
[quote_box_center]Beside entertainment, festivals are a meeting point of culture, customs and traditions\u00a0of a particular destination. In accordance to that, such events provide authenticity\u00a0and recognizability for locations where they are held, as well as memorable\u00a0experiences and impressions for visitors. Let us introduce you with European\u00a0festivals that stands out by its creativity.[/quote_box_center]
\nLa Tomatina
\nThis festival is annual\u00a0event that takes place on the\u00a0last Wednesday in August, and this\u00a0year the 70th tomato throwing festival\u00a0was held.
\nLa Tomatina takes place in Bu\u00f1ol, a\u00a0small town near Valencia. Since there\u00a0is a great interest in this event,\u00a0since\u00a02013 official ticketing limited\u00a0the number of participants to just\u00a020,000, because this town does not\u00a0have enough capacity to host more\u00a0lovers of this unusual festival. During\u00a0the festival, all local shops, stores\u00a0and windows are covered with plastic\u00a0shields, protecting them from the\u00a0tomato \u201cfight\u201d.
\nInteresting fact
\nBu\u00f1ol is not famous for tomato\u00a0growing; furthermore, it is\u00a0famous for cement, so tomatoes\u00a0are specially imported\u00a0for\u00a0this occasion.
Festival dates since 1945, and no\u00a0one is really sure how it all began.
\nThere\u00a0are different speculations and\u00a0versions, and the most interesting\u00a0story\u00a0is the one on how the citizens\u00a0were unhappy with the local authorities,\u00a0and during the town celebration\u00a0they started to throw tomatoes\u00a0on councilmen as a sign of protest,\u00a0which\u00a0continued in years to follow.
\nFestival always starts on 11 a.m. when trucks loaded with tomatoes are parked in the city central square, Plaza del Pueblo.
\nTechnically, the festival starts when one of the visitors climbs to the top of a two-story high, greased-up wooden pole and reaches the coveted ham at the top. However, since this is a tough job, anxious participants usually begin their tomato fights sooner.
\n
The rules of the festival or \u201ctomato fight\u201d\u00a0are strict and participants have\u00a0to follow them. After one hour the\u00a0fighting ends no more tomatoes can\u00a0be thrown.\u00a0The cleaning process starts immediately\u00a0after the festival, and visitors\u00a0often\u00a0jump into the Bu\u00f1ol River to\u00a0wash\u00a0away the \u201cfight\u201d traces.
\nThe Scottish Highland Games
\nThe Scottish Highland Games is the\u00a0most\u00a0popular event in Scotland, both\u00a0for local residents and for visitors\u00a0from different countries.
\nGames are held from May until September\u00a0on many locations in Scotland,\u00a0but also on many other locations in\u00a0the world, where Celtic and Scottish\u00a0culture and tradition are honored.
\nThe Games developed in Victorian times,\u00a0after Scotland achieved independence.\u00a0They originally consisted of\u00a0sport and athletic competitions, and\u00a0the thing they were recognizable and\u00a0remained by is the famous \u201cTossing\u00a0the Caber\u201d. In musical competitions,\u00a0the most common is the competition\u00a0in drumming.
\nToday, all games involve competitions\u00a0in drums, flutes, and \u201cpipes\u201d, highland\u00a0dancing competitions, caber\u00a0tossing and a variety of sporting contests.
\nHighland Dancing
\nHighland Dancing, with Highland Fling\u00a0as the most popular dance, was\u00a0originally danced only by men, and\u00a0it reflected the imitation of deer courtship.
\u00a0In the late 19th century, Jenny\u00a0Douglas was the first woman to\u00a0apply for the dancing contest and in\u00a0the following years, women contests\u00a0were held.
\nHighland Dancing is a very\u00a0demanding dance that requires\u00a0much\u00a0exercise and experience to perfect\u00a0it.
\n![\"MAN9734\"](\"https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/MAN9734.jpg\")
Tossing the Caber
\n\nTossing the Caber is the oldest and\u00a0the most popular athletic discipline.\u00a0The caber is a large wooden log, 5 or\u00a06 meters long and weighing up to 60\u00a0kg. The participants have a demanding\u00a0task to lift the caber, balance it\u00a0and throw it as far as possible.
\nThrowing the Hammer
\n\nThrowing the Hammer is another trademark\u00a0of Scottish competitions.\u00a0The Hammer is a metal bowl weighing\u00a07 or 10 kg, attached to the end of\u00a0a shaft, and it is similar to the hammer\u00a0throw as seen in modern-day\u00a0track and field competitions.
\nThe winner is the person who throws\u00a0the hammer to the greatest distance,\u00a0and women are allowed to participate.
\nDuring the summer, Highland gatherings\u00a0take place across Scotland, with\u00a0Braemar Gathering as the finale\u00a0held at Braemar on the first Saturday\u00a0in September and is traditionally\u00a0attended by the British Royal Family.
\nThe largest games are Cowal Highland\u00a0Gathering, better known as the\u00a0Cowal Games, held in August in the\u00a0town of Dunoon. These games bring\u00a0together the largest number of visitors,\u00a0around 20,000 with about 3,500\u00a0participants.
\nThe Scottish Highland Games are spread\u00a0around the world, since the Scottish\u00a0migrants retained the tradition,\u00a0culture and customs.\u00a0The Games\u00a0are also popular in America\u00a0and Canada.
\nIl palio di Siena
\nIl Palio di Siena is famous traditional\u00a0horse race that takes place on July\u00a02nd and August 16th in Sienna, Italy.
\nIl Palio that takes place in July is named\u00a0Palio di Provenzano in honor of\u00a0the Madonna of Provenzano.\u00a0The Palio held on August 16th is named\u00a0Palio\u00a0dell\u2019Assunta, in honor of\u00a0the Assumption\u00a0of Mary. The race circles\u00a0the famous Piazza del Campo.
\n![\"Palio](\"https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000016179992_Medium-copy-e1441992701701.jpg\")
The Siena is divided in 17 rivalry city\u00a0wards (contrade) joined by the\u00a0shared\u00a0passion to win Il Palio. Every\u00a0county functions as a separate town.\u00a0The rivalry among the \u201ccontrade\u201d is\u00a0passed from one generation to another\u00a0since the 12th century. The honor\u00a0and fame of the county that wins\u00a0Il Palio has a far greater significance\u00a0to residents of Sienna, than just winning\u00a0a horse race.
\nMore than win
\nThe winning at Il Palio is more\u00a0than just winning a horse race,\u00a0it is the honor and fame of\u00a0the county.
The jockeys ride bareback. The race\u00a0itself lasts for about 90 seconds, or\u00a0three circles around Piazza del Campo.
\nIt is common for some of the jockeys\u00a0to be thrown off their horses\u00a0while making the treacherous turns\u00a0in the piazza, and indeed, it is usual\u00a0to see unmounted horses finishing\u00a0the race without their jockeys.
\nThe most successful contrada is Oca\u00a0(the Goose) that won 63 races.\u00a0The contrada that has been the longest\u00a0without a victory is nicknamed\u00a0Nonna\u00a0(grandmother).
\nThe counties prepare for this event\u00a0thorough\u00a0the year \u2013 they develop\u00a0their\u00a0strategies, jockeys train very\u00a0hard,\u00a0donations are being collected,\u00a0media campaigns conducted, all so\u00a0that fame and glory would be justified,\u00a0and Il Palio won, since it represents\u00a0the essence of Sienna and its\u00a0residents.
\nThe post Festivals as a part of tradition and customs appeared first on SEE Business travel & meetings magazine.
\n", "content_text": "[quote_box_center]Beside entertainment, festivals are a meeting point of culture, customs and traditions\u00a0of a particular destination. In accordance to that, such events provide authenticity\u00a0and recognizability for locations where they are held, as well as memorable\u00a0experiences and impressions for visitors. Let us introduce you with European\u00a0festivals that stands out by its creativity.[/quote_box_center]\nLa Tomatina\nLa Tomatina is the largest food festival,\u00a0and it represents the world\u2019s\u00a0largest food fight.\nThis festival is annual\u00a0event that takes place on the\u00a0last Wednesday in August, and this\u00a0year the 70th tomato throwing festival\u00a0was held.\nLa Tomatina takes place in Bu\u00f1ol, a\u00a0small town near Valencia. Since there\u00a0is a great interest in this event,\u00a0since\u00a02013 official ticketing limited\u00a0the number of participants to just\u00a020,000, because this town does not\u00a0have enough capacity to host more\u00a0lovers of this unusual festival. During\u00a0the festival, all local shops, stores\u00a0and windows are covered with plastic\u00a0shields, protecting them from the\u00a0tomato \u201cfight\u201d.\nInteresting fact\nBu\u00f1ol is not famous for tomato\u00a0growing; furthermore, it is\u00a0famous for cement, so tomatoes\u00a0are specially imported\u00a0for\u00a0this occasion.\nFestival dates since 1945, and no\u00a0one is really sure how it all began.\nThere\u00a0are different speculations and\u00a0versions, and the most interesting\u00a0story\u00a0is the one on how the citizens\u00a0were unhappy with the local authorities,\u00a0and during the town celebration\u00a0they started to throw tomatoes\u00a0on councilmen as a sign of protest,\u00a0which\u00a0continued in years to follow.\nFestival always starts on 11 a.m. when trucks loaded with tomatoes are parked in the city central square, Plaza del Pueblo.\nTechnically, the festival starts when one of the visitors climbs to the top of a two-story high, greased-up wooden pole and reaches the coveted ham at the top. However, since this is a tough job, anxious participants usually begin their tomato fights sooner.\n\nThe rules of the festival or \u201ctomato fight\u201d\u00a0are strict and participants have\u00a0to follow them. After one hour the\u00a0fighting ends no more tomatoes can\u00a0be thrown.\u00a0The cleaning process starts immediately\u00a0after the festival, and visitors\u00a0often\u00a0jump into the Bu\u00f1ol River to\u00a0wash\u00a0away the \u201cfight\u201d traces.\nThe Scottish Highland Games\nThe Scottish Highland Games is the\u00a0most\u00a0popular event in Scotland, both\u00a0for local residents and for visitors\u00a0from different countries.\nTossing the Caber is the oldest\u00a0and the most popular athletic\u00a0discipline.\nGames are held from May until September\u00a0on many locations in Scotland,\u00a0but also on many other locations in\u00a0the world, where Celtic and Scottish\u00a0culture and tradition are honored.\nThe Games developed in Victorian times,\u00a0after Scotland achieved independence.\u00a0They originally consisted of\u00a0sport and athletic competitions, and\u00a0the thing they were recognizable and\u00a0remained by is the famous \u201cTossing\u00a0the Caber\u201d. In musical competitions,\u00a0the most common is the competition\u00a0in drumming.\nToday, all games involve competitions\u00a0in drums, flutes, and \u201cpipes\u201d, highland\u00a0dancing competitions, caber\u00a0tossing and a variety of sporting contests.\nHighland Dancing\nHighland Dancing, with Highland Fling\u00a0as the most popular dance, was\u00a0originally danced only by men, and\u00a0it reflected the imitation of deer courtship.\n\u00a0In the late 19th century, Jenny\u00a0Douglas was the first woman to\u00a0apply for the dancing contest and in\u00a0the following years, women contests\u00a0were held.\nHighland Dancing is a very\u00a0demanding dance that requires\u00a0much\u00a0exercise and experience to perfect\u00a0it.\n\nTossing the Caber\n\nTossing the Caber is the oldest and\u00a0the most popular athletic discipline.\u00a0The caber is a large wooden log, 5 or\u00a06 meters long and weighing up to 60\u00a0kg. The participants have a demanding\u00a0task to lift the caber, balance it\u00a0and throw it as far as possible.\nThrowing the Hammer\n\nThrowing the Hammer is another trademark\u00a0of Scottish competitions.\u00a0The Hammer is a metal bowl weighing\u00a07 or 10 kg, attached to the end of\u00a0a shaft, and it is similar to the hammer\u00a0throw as seen in modern-day\u00a0track and field competitions.\nThe winner is the person who throws\u00a0the hammer to the greatest distance,\u00a0and women are allowed to participate.\nDuring the summer, Highland gatherings\u00a0take place across Scotland, with\u00a0Braemar Gathering as the finale\u00a0held at Braemar on the first Saturday\u00a0in September and is traditionally\u00a0attended by the British Royal Family.\nThe largest games are Cowal Highland\u00a0Gathering, better known as the\u00a0Cowal Games, held in August in the\u00a0town of Dunoon. These games bring\u00a0together the largest number of visitors,\u00a0around 20,000 with about 3,500\u00a0participants.\nThe Scottish Highland Games are spread\u00a0around the world, since the Scottish\u00a0migrants retained the tradition,\u00a0culture and customs.\u00a0The Games\u00a0are also popular in America\u00a0and Canada.\nIl palio di Siena\nIl Palio di Siena is famous traditional\u00a0horse race that takes place on July\u00a02nd and August 16th in Sienna, Italy.\nIl Palio that takes place in July is named\u00a0Palio di Provenzano in honor of\u00a0the Madonna of Provenzano.\u00a0The Palio held on August 16th is named\u00a0Palio\u00a0dell\u2019Assunta, in honor of\u00a0the Assumption\u00a0of Mary. The race circles\u00a0the famous Piazza del Campo.\n\nThe Siena is divided in 17 rivalry city\u00a0wards (contrade) joined by the\u00a0shared\u00a0passion to win Il Palio. Every\u00a0county functions as a separate town.\u00a0The rivalry among the \u201ccontrade\u201d is\u00a0passed from one generation to another\u00a0since the 12th century. The honor\u00a0and fame of the county that wins\u00a0Il Palio has a far greater significance\u00a0to residents of Sienna, than just winning\u00a0a horse race.\nMore than win\nThe winning at Il Palio is more\u00a0than just winning a horse race,\u00a0it is the honor and fame of\u00a0the county.\nThe jockeys ride bareback. The race\u00a0itself lasts for about 90 seconds, or\u00a0three circles around Piazza del Campo.\nIt is common for some of the jockeys\u00a0to be thrown off their horses\u00a0while making the treacherous turns\u00a0in the piazza, and indeed, it is usual\u00a0to see unmounted horses finishing\u00a0the race without their jockeys.\nThe most successful contrada is Oca\u00a0(the Goose) that won 63 races.\u00a0The contrada that has been the longest\u00a0without a victory is nicknamed\u00a0Nonna\u00a0(grandmother).\nThe counties prepare for this event\u00a0thorough\u00a0the year \u2013 they develop\u00a0their\u00a0strategies, jockeys train very\u00a0hard,\u00a0donations are being collected,\u00a0media campaigns conducted, all so\u00a0that fame and glory would be justified,\u00a0and Il Palio won, since it represents\u00a0the essence of Sienna and its\u00a0residents.\nThe post Festivals as a part of tradition and customs appeared first on SEE Business travel & meetings magazine.", "date_published": "2015-10-22T13:02:32+02:00", "date_modified": "2016-12-29T11:50:26+01:00", "author": { "name": "Miroslava Jeremic", "url": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/author/miroslava/", "avatar": "https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/Miroslava.jpg" }, "image": "https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/La_Tomatina_Spain.jpg", "tags": [ "festivals", "hot topics", "il palio", "la tomatina", "scottish highland games", "Hot topics" ] } ] }