Spanish Immigration listens to Spanish Stories: The Running of the Bulls is a traditional festival in Spain that began in 1591 and is one of the most traditional festivals in Spain. It is not merely a form of entertainment but a national treasure that embodies the Spanish national spirit. Every year, thousands of people from around the world gather for this grand event. Its official name is "San Fermín" (Los Sanfermines). The San Fermín festival is a traditional celebration belonging to the city of Pamplona, the capital of the Navarre region in Spain. The festival is famous worldwide due to the depiction of the bull-running activities in Ernest Hemingway's work "The Sun Also Rises."
The San Fermín festival begins at noon on July 6. At this moment, thousands of tourists wait in the square in front of the City Hall (Ayuntamiento), raising the bright red San Fermín scarves (pañuelos) above their heads. According to a tradition that began in 1941, the mayor ignites a firecracker (Chupinazo) from the balcony of the hall at this moment, announcing the start of the San Fermín festival, and the tourists quickly tie their scarves around their necks. Following this, several large balloons rise in the square, and all citizens and visitors open large amounts of champagne and spray each other. Before this moment of waiting, the crowd in the square begins to throw eggs at each other in early celebration.
The Running of the Bulls lasts for a week, with six bulls fought each day. In the morning, the male bulls are driven from the pens to the bullring. To provoke the bulls' wildness, some even apply red pepper to the bulls' eyes. Hundreds of brave individuals, dressed in white clothing and red scarves, tease the running bulls, often facing life-threatening situations. Due to some young people getting too close to the bulls, injuries or fatalities occur every year during the festival. When the bulls are driven to the bullring, the competition begins with a band playing stirring bullfighting music, and the bullfighters, picadors, and lancers use all their skills to provoke and stimulate the bulls until the final sword thrust kills them.