Welcome to the Festival!
When many people think of Spain they think of bulls- bull fights, bull rings, matadors, big black bull billboards on the side of the highway, the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona in June, etc. So whether this is the true image of Spain or not (I would argue that Spain and Spanish people and culture are much more than bulls) I decided that this time in Spain shouldn’t miss out on something bull related- but I was hoping to see something a little less horrific than a bull being tortured and slaughtered to death in front of a cheering crowd. My opportunity came on what was nothing less than Easter Sunday. Emily and I celebrated Easter in a truly small-town Andalusian way… by watching a bull run through the streets while nervously hoping the crowd would stop taunting it long enough to realize their proximity to a 1,500 pound wild animal and to run away.
An important part of the festival...the gate allowing people to hide and escape the bull.
All roads connected to the town’s main street were gated off with medal prison-like bars that allowed people to pass through and crowds to gather and watch the madness. The first bull was released at 12:00 and stayed in the street for an hour. Then from 1pm to 3pm people went to bars, hung out in the street and drank, and celebrated with music, food, friends, and sunshine. Again at 3pm a different, ‘fresh’ bull was released into the street and the now drunk townspeople showed their alcohol induced bravery/stupidity by again taunting and touching the bull so that it would chase them.
Matadors in training.
The bull staring at its company.
Look at the lightpost!
Thankfully I did not see anybody gored by the bull and in the end the bulls get taken back to the country to tell their bull friends about the strange experience they just had. Although they don’t suffer physically (which is also a lie…one bull fell on its side on the cobblestone street and couldn’t get back up) the mental anxiety that this type of taunting must produce makes me feel that this kind of festival, although fun, shouldn’t revolve around animal torture. Anyway, it was interesting whether I believe in it or not and I was happy to celebrate Easter in the company of good friends. And to top it all off, we shared a wonderful Spanish dinner of atún machada (1 lb of fresh tuna cooked in lard), cous cous, fresh veggies, and wine.
