People participate in the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, Spain, July 6, 2023. (Photo: AFP/VNA)
Thousands of brave people took part in the first running of the bulls at the San Fermin festival in the northern Spanish city of Pamplona on July 7. There were some collisions, but no one was gored.
The San Fermin festival is said to have originated in the 13th century. The event became famous after being mentioned by famous writer Ernest Hemmingway in his 1926 novel "The Sun Also Rises".
According to locals, this traditional festival is held to pay homage to Saint Fermin of Navarran city.
To move the animals from the holding area to the bullring, festival participants spur them to run.
Every morning during the first week of July, after a fireworks signal is fired into the air, six bulls run free through the cobblestone streets of Pamplona.
After 2 minutes of racing with everyone, the bulls will go to the arena to be finished off by the matadors (bullfighters) in front of thousands of spectators.
Most Spaniards consider this a unique cultural event of the country, and also the " sport " that attracts the largest audience after football.
The San Fermin Festival is held annually and always attracts the attention of many tourists .
In 2022, nearly 1.7 million people came to Pamplona to soak up this bustling atmosphere.
Local officials expect this year's event to attract even more visitors, now that all COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted.
According to the travel company Destino Navarra, tourists from the US and Canada account for 70% of the company's bookings for this year's San Fermin festival.
VNA
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