Each July, the peaceful town of Pamplona, Spain throws one of the biggest parties on the planet.
The San Fermin Festival-known to most of us as the Running of the Bulls-brings together religious tradition, raucous revelry and berserk bovines to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all who attend.
Want to get in on the party? Here are some things you definitely should know.
Bullish Background
The festival has been held to honor Pamplona's patron saint (Saint Fermin) since at least the 16th Century, with the encierros (bull runs) having their roots in the fact that bulls used to be driven to Pamplona from rural ranches by local butchers.
It wasn't until Ernest Hemingway visited the town that things started to really take off, though, as the author fell for the festival, even making the Running of the Bulls a star of his novel The Sun Also Rises.
When is the Running of the Bulls?
The festival runs from July 6 to 14 each year, with the bull runs taking place at 8 a.m. in the morning.
Does Anything Else Happen Besides Bull-Running?
Does it ever. Since the actual bull runs only last around three minutes, that leaves lots of time for other endeavors.
Imbibing of sangria and beer is very popular, which starts in earnest during the late afternoon, carries on through the night and reaches fever pitch in the hours leading up to dawn. Around sunrise, the drink of choice becomes carajillo, which is coffee spiked with brandy.
There is also the 'sport' of statue-diving, which evidence strongly suggests is directly connected to the aforementioned imbibing. In this sport, participants climb to the top of Pamplona's St. Cecilia Statue and launch themselves into the air hoping that waiting strangers will catch them.
Each evening, there are firework displays. Each morning, brass bands can be found wandering the streets putting on impromptu concerts. There are also bullfights every evening following a bull run.
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What Should I Wear?
The uniform of the runners and spectators alike is white pants, white shirt, red belt and red neckerchief, which is the traditional garb of the region. There is a myriad of shops in Pamplona selling the entire ensemble.
How Much Does It Cost to Run with the Bulls?
Nothing, it is free to run with the bulls.
All you have to do is make your way to the gate by City Hall between 6.30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m., enter the course and wait for the rocket to be fired at 8 a.m. This rocket means that the bullpen has been opened, with a second rocket following soon after telling the runners that bulls have left their pens.
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Should I Run with the Bulls?
Are you crazy? No, you most certainly should not. You should watch from a balcony or side street.
If you insist though, here are few tips that may keep you safe:
- Don't even think of running drunk. Or taking a selfie.
- Run on a weekday. The crowds are thinner, and you'll have more space to evade the bulls.
- Don't get too close behind the bulls as they are known to turn around on a whim.
- Stake out a starting spot that ensures you will make it through the narrow alley called Estafeta before the bulls do, as this is a notoriously dangerous bottleneck.
- If you fall, just stay down and cover your head. Preferably until you hear a rocket fired, which indicates all the bulls have arrived in the bullring.
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