A (in Spanish), (in

Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...

), roughly meaning 'bull with balls', is a festive activity, typical of many towns in Spain (mainly in the

Valencian community The Valencian Community ( ca-valencia, Comunitat Valenciana, es, Comunidad Valenciana) is an autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most populous Spanish autonomous community after Andalusia, Catalonia and the Community of Madrid with ...

and Southern

Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the north ...

), in which a bull that has burning balls of flammable material attached to its horns is set free in the streets at night, and participants dodge the bull when it comes close. It can be considered a variant of an ( in Catalan). This activity is held in a number of Spanish towns during their local festivals. In the 21st century animal welfare activists have attempted to stop this practice as

cruel Cruelty is the pleasure in inflicting suffering or inaction towards another's suffering when a clear remedy is readily available. Sadism can also be related to this form of action or concept. Cruel ways of inflicting suffering may involve vi ...

. The animal is usually tied to a post and then teams of people prevent it from moving while a wooden frame with two spikes with balls of flammable material is attached to its horns. These are then set alight and the rope is cut. Sometimes

fireworks Fireworks are a class of Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a l ...

are attached too, which then go off shortly afterwards. There is usually a barricade separating the bull from the spectators. A somewhat similar activity is the , in which the live bull is replaced by a bull-shaped metal frame (held by a runner) which is set alight. Vejer de la Frontera has held the yearly El Toro Embolao on Easter Sunday since 1976, where two bulls are let loose in the city. In 2019 a 74-year-old man was gored to death.

References

Animal festival or ritual Animal welfare Bull sports Cruelty to animals Festivals in Spain Traditions involving fire {{spain-stub

See also

References