Month: March 2020

Last semester, I wrote about a Spanish festival called “La Tomatina”, in which participants throw tomatoes at each other for hours on end, completely obliterating anything in sight with the red, sticky tomato juice. After reading about that, I did not expect to come upon another event that matches La Tomatina’s messy ways until I encountered this festival.

Like “La Tomatina”, this festival called the “Batalla del Vino” also is held in Spain. I am sure that if you know Spanish, you can guess what this festival is all about, but for those who do not, this festival is essentially one of the world’s biggest food and drink battles with, you guessed it, wine! This event is held in the small town of Haro, in the heart of the La Rioja wine region. The town is very quintessential and beautiful, so it makes sense that the actual battle is held about 4 miles outside of town, in the Riscos de Bilibio hills. It is held annually on June 29 to celebrate and honor the saints of San Juan, San Felices, and San Pedro. In the morning, locals and tourists gather and usually attend a mass before trekking to the hills. After the hike, the battle begins! The goal is to soak the people surrounding you with as much wine as possible! It is suggested that you wear white to show how purple you get after being soaked by the wine for a whole day! At noon, the battle halts and people stop for lunch. It is tradition to feast on snails and lamb chop for lunch, but there are a variety of vendors available for the more diverse, modern crowd (especially tourists). The party continues after lunch in Haro, with live music, dancing, and even shopping at the local markets and street stalls. It may seem odd that a tradition like this even exists, but it has a rich history which is very monumental to the people of Haro. It gets its roots back in the sixth century when San Felices de Bilibio died and was buried in the caves of the Riscos de Bilibio hills. People would pay homage to him, leaving wine in the hills. Eventually, a chapel was built there in the 18^th century, the site of the wine baptisms of the 20th century. Over time, these baptisms turned into wine celebrations and voila! The wine battle was born. Before coming to this wonderful festival, there are a few things to keep in mind when planning the trip. First off, make sure to bring clothes, mostly white in color, that you do not mind ruining. As mentioned previously, this festival gets very messy and will stain your clothes. A handkerchief tied around the neck is also a popular wardrobe choice, so that wine does not go trickling down your neck or back. Usually, there are specially themed handkerchiefs for purchase each Batalla del Vino, so you can take it, along with your stained clothes, back home as souvenirs. Make sure to bring a container with you as well, to fill up on the ammunition. Plastic buckets and bottles are mostly used, but the best recommendation is a water gun! If you are planning on staying in Haro overnight, make sure to plan accordingly ahead of time, because reservations fill up very quickly! Bon voyage, or buen viaje!

Although Italy may not be the most ideal destination of travel currently, it is still important to consider this wonderful place in future travel plans. If you are unsure of what to do leading up to lent, I would suggest making a trip to Venice, Italy to see what “Carnevale” has to offer.

If you have never had the slight fantasy of attending a masquerade ball or any large event where people’s identities are concealed until a final reveal, you should seriously consider how fun it would be. Carnevale is a two-week-long celebration leading up to Lent, either in the streets of Venice with candle-lit parade boats, concerts, and street performers, or at opulent masquerade balls that tend to require invitations and have steep ticket prices, there is something for everyone to enjoy and take part in, regardless if you are looking to splurge or simply have a free spectacle. This may sound like a free-for-all, but this festival is deeply rooted in Venice’s history. During the 40-day Lent period, parties were off-limits, and so was eating foods like meat, fats, and sugars. This festival acted as a “release” of these sorts of cravings so people could get everything out of their systems before committing to Lent. In fact, the word Carnevale may come from the Latin words carne and vale, meaning “farewell to meat”, so it makes sense that this festival is named as such. It is said that it started in 1162 when the townspeople celebrated a victory over the Patriarch of Aquileia. Although many societal factors over the years since caused fluctuations in the Carnevale festival, the tradition has managed to stay celebrated even today.

A large part of this celebration is the Venetian masks. Although wearing masks has been a strange and specific target of bans over the centuries, including Mussolini’s ban of the celebrations altogether, it did not stifle the mask tradition. Masks were historically worn during promiscuous endeavors, and even when carrying out daily tasks. While wearing masks out in the streets, state inquisitors and spies could question citizens without fear of their true identity being discovered, and citizens could answer without fear of recognition. The morale of the people was maintained through the use of masks. With no faces, everyone had voices. This practice stimulated the society of Venice to allow it to develop into such a rich culture with elaborate history. The masks are handcrafted from paper-mache and wildly decorated with fur, fabric, gems, or feathers. They can be very expensive depending on how much detail is included in it, so make sure to choose a mask based on your budget. Overall, this event, with its rich history and unique events is something that should definitely be included on your bucket list. Make sure to hold on tight to your friends at this festival because it is easy to lose yourself, and them, in this incredible masked Italian celebration.

When you think of the desert, you likely think of a vast, dune filled nothingness with the occasional cactus or camel. However, the Jaisalmer Desert Festival is certainly not part of this desert stereotype. Amidst the beautiful dunes of the Thar Desert in the Sam dunes, there are a plethora of unique events that you can participate in, making the desert come alive with color and happiness.

During the festival, the locals will dress in traditional, brightly colored clothing. The festival begins with a procession from the Jaisalmer Fort to the Shahid Poonam Singh Stadium where the festivities are focused. Participants may enter in the longest mustache contest, polo matches, camel rides, desert safaris, and much more. The festival ends on Poornima, or full moon day, in the Sam dunes. With the sun setting in the background of the “Sonar Quila” Jaisalmer Fort in the distance, it is easy to get lost in the fairytale-like views. There is a deeply rooted history behind this festival that many people who attend are not aware of. An article about this amazing Indian holiday describes the history behind this event: “Lord Krishna, ruler of Yadav community told Arjuna (one of the Pandavas) that a successor belonging from the Yadav community will set up His kingdom on the Trikuta Hill. In the year 1196, the prediction made by Lord Krishna came true, when Rawal Jaiswal, a descendant of the Yadav clan, established his kingdom in Jaisalmer. Celebrations were organized throughout the kingdom when the people came to know that the prophecy has come true. The celebrations soon developed into a festival that is now organized every year. The government started marketing the vibrant festival as an international drawing visitor to the Jaisalmer Desert City”. As you can see, this celebration has grown and developed over quite some time and holds incredible cultural significance. Along with the immense history behind this event, traditions are carried forwards every year. It is always held in the Hindu month of Magh (February), three days before the full moon, so in 2020, the Jaisalmer Desert Festival will be held from February 7^th to February 9^th. This event is full of dancing and incredible outdoor activities, so it is important to plan according to the weather. It is important to sample many of the different local food options from the various vendors in the festival to be fully immersed in this festival. Handcrafted goods and local products are also being sold throughout the venue, so buying souvenirs for all of your jealous friends back home is quite easy. Upon reading about this event, one of the most interesting parts was the unique competition for men by the name Maru Shri or Mr. Desert Pageant, which attracts locals as well as international travelers. It doesn’t seem to fit the other events relating to camels and dancing, but it could be interesting to enter (for all of you handsome guys out there). So get ready to saddle up on camelback and grow your mustache out because the Jaisalmer Desert Festival is calling your name.