La Tomatina: A tangy tradition

Held in Buñol, Spain, La Tomatina is a riot of unbridled delight and muddy enjoyment. Thousands of people tossing ripe tomatoes at one another turn the town into a sea of red. Although the celebration seems to be total anarchy, its deeper message of embracing playfulness and disrupting the routine of daily life—a topic that really speaks to my path from Hisar to Toulouse.
The closest equivalent of this in my birthplace would be Holi, where water and colours evoke a similar sense of friendship and unrestrained laughter. Growing up in Punjab, I saw personally how such celebrations strengthen links in societies. This knowledge of group celebration helped me during my time working for the Cultural Committee on big events at IIM Lucknow. Like La Tomatina in Spain, I delighted in creating events that brought people together, whether they were running Section Wars or planning innovative campaigns for 10,000+ participants.
Fascinatingly, La Tomatina’s sheer vitality reflects the force of my work. Although the spontaneity of La Tomatina contrasts with the accuracy and economy demanded here, both have as their common thread bringing structure and delight into apparently chaotic surroundings.
Sharing tales with my classmates has spurred interesting conversations on how other cultures honour freedom and enjoyment. These dialogues have improved my capacity to change with the times and allowed me to close cultural gaps.
La Tomatina reminds me of the need of stopping among the grind to honour the little events of life. It’s evidence of the universal human spirit of celebration, something I aim to live both personally and professionally in line with. Whether planning low-cost solutions for a finance project or handling high-stress event logistics, I have discovered that even among structure and goal, there is room for innovation, humour, and—yes, a little chaos.

Recipe: Gazpacho (Cold Tomato Soup)