It is said to be the ultimate test of one's manhood. Others will, on the other hand, quite justifiably try top point out that it is just about the stupidest thing you could possibly ever imagine doing.

It is, of course, the festival officially known as the Festival of San Fermin, more commonly and widely known as known commonly as the Running of the Bulls).

Ever since the Festival of San Fermin was made famous in Ernest Hemingway’s novel The Sun Also Rises, thrill-seekers and others (many of whom, quite frankly seem to border on the psychopathically demented) have been thronging the festival every year, gradually moving the festival away from its traditionally religious roots to something much more grand, much larger and especially much more dangerous!.

Originally, the festival commemorated the martyrdom of San Fermin, killed by a bull dragging him through the streets of Pamplona. Every year, it is now celebrated from July 6 and July l4, with a running of the bulls every morning of the festival.

For a dedicated festivalgoer, the festival is essentially divided into eight periods of sleeping, eating, partying, resting, running and, finally, eating breakfast!

Each period starts at bedtime, which generally occurs around 9 a.m each morning.

People will then generally rouse themselves sometime in the late afternoon and have a light meal. Then parents bring their children to the child-oriented festivities, such as carnival rides and booths selling trinkets and toys.

During the party, which literally lasts until dawn, people drink wine and beer and parade through the streets of the old medieval section of town making noise and spreading merriment. The party usually winds down by 6 a.m., which is the official beginning of the municipal cleaning crew's job. The crew hoses the streets down giving festivalgoers a chance to take a little rest before the daily encierro (the running of the bulls).

By 8 a.m., thousands of people have massed at the starting line of the running course, which is approximately four New York City blocks.

The rest of the people in Pamplona are either gathered along the route to watch or are waiting at the end of the course, at the Plaza Del Toro, for the arrival of the bulls. At exactly 8 a.m. the mayor of Pamplona sets off a rocket which signifies the start of the encierro.

At this point, the people massed at the start of the course are allowed to begin running.

Exactly one minute later, another rocket is set off signaling the release of the bulls.

There are two types of runners, and they are separated at this point in the festival.

The first type is the tourist runner. He (I say "he" because both tourist and Spanish women runners are generally unheard of) does not come from Spain, and has probably never touched a bull before the festival.

This typical tourist has likely been up all night drinking huge amounts of wine, and possibly has been fountain-diving-a tourist-invented sport that is exactly what its name signifies.

At this point, the tourist realizes he does not want to touch a bull and will, in fact, do anything he can to avoid coming into contact with one.

He begins to sprint as soon as the first rocket is set off and doesn't stop sprinting unless he trips or a bull corners him. When the tourist arrives at the Plaza del Toro, he makes sure to get himself into a large crowd of other tourist runners, because he believes the crowd will keep him safe from the oncoming bulls.

The second type of runner is the native runner.

The native runner lets the first and second rockets go off without flinching. His signal to begin running is the appearance of the bulls, which causes him to begin jogging so as to allow the bulls to catch up to him slowly.

The native runner has grown up in Pamplona, and has been running with the bulls since before he can remember. He feels totally comfortable being within a hair's length of a wild running bull.

He feels so comfortable that he carries a rolled-up newspaper with which to prod the bull.

The native runner parties hard and runs hard. He takes the festival seriously and has a great amount of disdain for anyone who doesn't, namely the tourist runners.

The encierro itself lasts only a few minutes before all the bulls and runners are corralled into the Plaza del Toro (bullring).

They are then brought into a corral in the back of the Plaza. The runners stand in the ring waiting for the bulls, and a paying crowd sits in the stands anxiously.

One by one, the bulls are set loose into the crowds of people standing in front of the corral gates.

This is the most dangerous part of the tradition because bulls are most vicious when they are separated and alone.

The bull at this point generally runs around and around the bullring, looking for people who it can trap and gore. After a few minutes, a bull-keeper comes out and guides the bull back into the corral. This part of the tradition is for the benefit of the aficionados (passionate bull fans) in the crowd, who rate and examine the different bulls as they try to gore runners.

The morning runs help provoke the bulls for the afternoon bullfights, which is the most important part of the festival for true aficionados.

After the running festivities are over, the bulls are corralled into the back of the Plaza, and everybody gets ready for bed.

Many natives will stop at a local bar for some churros and chocolate (a traditional dish), or will have a cup of chicken soup (a custom of the Basque country). Then it's off to bed for the exhausted runners and festivalgoers.

For most of the foreigners who have come to Pamplona for the festival, bedtime means pulling out a sleeping bag and roughing it in a local park due to the lack of rooms at any of Pamplona's hotels or hostels.

Rooms are often booked up to a year in advance of each festival. Throughout the town one sees large groups of young people sleeping in public parks, down side streets, and even along the railroad tracks.

Thanks to Ernest Hemingway, the Festival of San Fermin has gained worldwide notoriety. But thanks to tourists, its sense of tradition has been somewhat lost. Lately its organizers have been attempting to reintroduce the true meaning of the festival and revamp it into its traditional form.

Considering even the traditional form of the Festival of San Fermin includes a huge party every night, all night, for eight consecutive nights, don't let its return to its roots be a discouragement.

The Festival of San Fermin is a necessary stop on any trip through Spain

 A Short Snippet   Continues Here....

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