The brightest shots of the Tomatina festival

Today, in the Spanish town of Bunol, near Valencia, the annual Tomatina festival, also known as the "battle of the tomatoes", takes place. Tomatina lasts a week and includes musical numbers, a fair, a parade, dancing and fireworks. However, the culmination of the holiday, of course, are the street tomato battles taking place on Wednesday. Every year, tens of thousands of Spaniards and visitors to the country take part in this tomato madness, and more than 100 tons of tomatoes are used. We have collected the brightest shots of the festival of past years and interesting facts about it.

(Total 20 photos)

1. The La Tomatina Festival has been a hallmark of the city of Bunol for many years. (Alberto Saiz/Associated Press)

2. The population of Bunol is no more than 10 thousand people, but the festival gathers here more than 40 thousand tourists from Spain and other countries. (Heino Kalis/Reuters)

3. The biggest tomato battle attracts people from all over the world - even from countries as far away as Japan and Australia. In 2002, the Central Bureau of Tourism awarded the festival in Bunyol the status of an international one. (Jasper Juinen/Getty Images)

4. The beginning of the tradition was laid in 1945. The first battle with tomatoes took place during a fight at the end of summer festival. Due to the fact that the skirmish took place near the vegetable shops, the tomatoes became a weapon of battle. (Associated Press/Alberto Saiz)

5. Until 1975, each resident brought their own shell tomatoes to the holiday. Later, the monks from the Order of St. Louis Bertrand, the patron saint of the city, began to bring up "ammunition". And since 1980, the municipality of the city took up the organization of the holiday, which dramatically increased its scale. (Alberto Saiz/Associated Press)

6. The signal for the beginning of the battle is a special firecracker, launched on Wednesday at 11 o'clock from the city hall. At this signal, several trucks loaded with ripe tomatoes appear on the streets of the city. (Jasper Juinen/Getty Images)

7. On the day of the tomato battle, all the streets of Bunyol are completely closed to traffic.

8. A dump truck overturns a load of overripe tomatoes onto a crowd. (Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

9. According to the rules of the fight, before throwing a tomato, it must be crushed so as not to injure anyone. Nothing other than tomatoes is allowed to be thrown. It is also forbidden to tear each other's clothes (of which, for obvious reasons, there are so few on the participants) and to interfere with the movement of trucks with tomatoes. (Jasper Juinen/Getty Images)

10. Swim in tomato juice. Organizers and experienced participants recommend to protect your eyes from getting tomato juice with goggles. (Associated Press/Alberto Saiz)

11. Thanks to these simple rules, adopted in 1959, no celebration of Tomatina has yet led to serious incidents. (Jasper Juinen/Getty Images)

12. Spaniards, of course, find time for love even in the most extreme conditions! (German Garcia/AFP/Getty Images)

13. The authorities annually spend tens of thousands of euros on the organization and conduct of the tomato war. Most of the money goes, of course, to the purchase of tomatoes, as well as organizing security and further cleaning the streets. (Jasper Juinen/Getty Images)

14. For the duration of the fighting, which lasts several hours, almost all bars, cafes, restaurants and any public places in the city are closed, and special plastic shields are hung on windows and doors. (Heino Kalis/Reuters)

15. The girl is hiding in the entrance of the house, while people are throwing tomatoes at each other. (Jasper Juinen/Getty Images)

16. Wild dances in the lake of tomato juice at the Tomatina festival. (Heino Kalis/Reuters)

17. A girl slips in tomato juice and crushed tomatoes during the tomato war. (Alberto Saiz/Associated Press)

18. Tomato battles end with a swim in a pool filled with tomato juice and a drawing of traditional Iberian pig hams. (Alberto Saiz/Associated Press)

19. By the end of the holiday, the tomato mess underfoot reaches the ankles, and the nearby houses, as well as the participants, are repainted red. In the photo: A defeated participant of the festival in a puddle of tomato juice. (Jasper Juinen/Getty Images)

20. On the day of the festival, portable showers are installed in Bunyol and fire hydrants are opened to bring the participants and the city back to normal. After the battle itself, the area is washed off, and then the Tomato Festival dedicated to the outgoing summer lasts for several more days. (German Garcia/AFP/Getty Images)