Pamplona, a city of 300,000 is located in the northern Spanish province of Navarra, about 1 hour from the Pyrenees Mountains and the border with France, and is the capital city of Navarre, Spain. The city is famous worldwide for the San Fermín festival, held every year from July 6-14, during which Europe's most dangerous tradition - The running of the bulls - takes place.  The tradition dates back to medieval times when bulls were herded through Pamplona’s streets to the bullring by locals who helped drive the bulls. Over time running behind the bulls became running in front of the bulls.    
      Pamplona’s old city is transformed into a 24 hour fiesta. Streets are packed with revelers, music booms from nightclubs 24 hours a day, and brass bands play in the streets at all hours.  There is endless entertainment for festival goers of all ages, including children: a midway; rock concerts; traditional basque dancing; parades, processions; religious ceremonies; fireworks every night; outdoor cafes; and bullfights are a few. 
     Tourists and Spanish families alike dress head to toe in white with a red scarf and red sash. The scarf should only be worn after the festival’s opening ceremony, held every year at 12 p.m. July 6.  Like many things about the festival, there are differing opinions as to why the scarf and sash are part of the traditional costume.  Some say it is to mask the blood from gorings, yet another version is that the sash (worn around the waist) distracts the charging bulls from the runner. Either way the scarf and sash became a festival tradition in the 1960s.      
             More than a million people attend the festival each year and on any given day during the festival, an estimated 1500 to 3500 people (locals and tourists) run with the bulls.  The entire run lasts only 2 - 3 minutes, and is probably the longest 2 - 3 minutes of some runners lives!  The runs are held every morning at 8am from July 7-14.

The course of the bull run stretches for a 0.5 mile through the small cobblestone streets of Pamplona and it ends at the municipal bullring.  The path of the run, no wider than an alleyway, approximately 20-25 feet wide, is lined with apartment buildings or 8-foot high double security gates line the entire course making it impossible to watch it from street level. The best vantage point are the second floor balconies.  There is no cost to participate in the run and it is open to anyone sober over the age of 18, although it is extremely dangerous. 

      The native language spoken in Iruna, (which is Basque for Pamplona) is Spanish and Basque, though English is spoken in most hotels and restaurants.
Travel to Pamplona, Spain

 

Read more »

Poinsettias are very popular Christmas decorations across North America. The plants are used to decorate homes, churches, businesses and can be found adorning the studio sets of most game and talk shows during the season.

The "poinsettia" is named after Joel Roberts Poinsett, who introduced the plant into the United States in 1828.  The son of a French physician, Poinsett was appointed as the first United States Ambassador to Mexico by President Madison. Poinsett had attended medical school himself, but his real love in the scientific field was botany. (Mr. Poinsett later founded the institution which we know today as the Smithsonian Institution).  By an Act of Congress, December 12 was set aside as National Poinsettia Day. The date marks the death of Joel Roberts Poinsett.

The plant's association with Christmas began in 16th century Mexico, where legend tells of a young girl who was too poor to provide a gift for the celebration of Jesus' birthday. The tale goes that the child was inspired by an angel to gather weeds from the roadside and place them in front of the church altar. Crimson "blossoms" sprouted from the weeds and became beautiful poinsettias.  Beginning in the 17th century, Franciscan friars in Mexico included the plants in their Christmas celebrations.  The star-shaped leaf pattern is said to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem, and the red color represents the blood sacrifice through the crucifixion of Jesus.

Technically known as Euphorbia pucherrima, the poinsettia is a species of flowering plant indigenous to Mexico and Central America, also cultivated in Egypt and Sydney, Australia and is found in the wild, in deciduous tropical forest at moderate elevations from southern Sinaloa, down the entire Pacific coast of Mexico to Guatemala.  Considered a shrub or small tree ranging in height from 2 to 16ft, bearing dark green leaves that can measure 3 to 6 inches in length.   The colored bracts (which are also considered leaves) are most often flaming red, but can be orange, pale green, cream, pink, white or marbled.  The actual flowers of the plant are grouped within the small yellow structures found in the center of each leaf bunch, and they are called cyathia.  In order for the leaves to change color, they require darkness for 12 hours at a time during the night, and lots of light during the day to achieve the brightest colors.  There are over 100 cultivated varieties of poinsettia available.

In the United States and perhaps elsewhere, there is a common misconception that the poinsettia is highly toxic. This is not true; it is mildly irritating to the skin or stomach and may sometimes cause diarrhea and vomiting if eaten.  Sap introduced into the human eye may cause temporary blindness. An American Journal of Emergency Medicine survey of 22,793 cases reported to the American Association of Poison Control Centers showed no fatalities, and furthermore that a strong majority of poinsettia exposures are accidental, involve children, and usually do not result in any type of medical treatment.

Read more »

Fireworks : Fireworks, cheering, singing and noisemakers on New Year’s Eve are believed to scare away evil spirits. Do we really need an excuse to set off fireworks? Probably not. But we’ll take this opportunity to light the sky (and maybe the grass in our neighbor’s yard). Music and singing are a part of most celebrations and I’m pretty sure the 20 people doing a poor job of singing “Don’t Stop Believing” at 1AM aren’t concerned with keeping evil away in the new year.

Making Resolutions : Many believe the first day of the New Year should be spent thinking about the past year and resolving to improve oneself in the coming year. And while the media recycles old stories about quitting smoking or getting out of debt and your parents use new year’s resolutions as a guilt-inducing tactic to get you to move out of their basement or pay back what you owe them not all resolutions have to be a life-altering ordeal. Resolve small in the New Year and you’ll feel good that you got something accomplished.

Paying Off Your Debt : It sounds like a resolution but you’re supposed to do this before January 1. This way you’re even when the new year arrives and you start with a fresh slate. On New Year’s Day you shouldn’t pay out anything or make loans because this signals money leaving you. So buy your lottery tickets on New Year’s Eve.

Kissing at Midnight : New Year’s Eve ranks second behind Valentine’s Day as the worst day to be single because when that clock strikes midnight everybody’s smooching but you. Granted, this is only painful for about 60 seconds (unlike Valentine’s Day which serves up a full 24 hours of candy hearts, barely clothed cupids and ridiculous romantic gestures). The New Year’s Eve kiss is a symbol that your affection and closeness will last all year. So don’t grab some weirdo and kiss them, find a friend and give ‘em a hug.

Singing “Auld Lang Syne” : A Scottish poem from the 1700’s; it literally means “old long since” or, in American, terms “days of long ago” or “the good old days.”

The song goes as such:

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and days of auld lang syne?

CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

First Footer : The first person to visit your home on New Year’s Day has significance. It is considered good luck for a man to be the first person to cross your threshold (you have to let him in; he shouldn’t use a key to let himself in). It’s even better luck if he’s tall and good looking with dark hair. I’ve read specifically that the first footer should not have flat feet, crossed-eyes or a unibrow. So Frida Kahlo and Bert from Sesame Street should not be let in. Best of all, the first footer should bring along gifts like bread, fresh fruit, salt, and wine. If you’re a handsome man delivering wine on New Year’s Day, I’m guessing not many people are going to turn you away.

Lay Low & Do (Pretty Much) Nothing : A lot of info out there said not to do laundry or dishes (since you “wash away” luck and these can cause a death in the family in the coming year), not to take anything out of the house (including trash) and not to wash your hair. Sounds like the hang-over crowd was looking for a little justification to lie on the couch all day.

Eat, Eat! : While you are lazing about on the couch, make sure you are eating luck foods:
• Grapes – 12 of them, one for every month of the year
• Pork – because pigs root forward when they eat while chickens scratch backward (and bacon is delicious)
• Black eyed peas – here’s a good luck recipe that’s quite tasty and gets you your black-eyed peas and pork all in one meal
• Lentils – which resemble coins
• Greens such as collard greens, chard, cabbage and kale – the folds of the greens resemble money
Many of the foods that are “good” to eat resemble money or have to do with moving forward.

Nothing Should Leave the House : Here’s one that had to be thought up by someone who didn’t want to run errands. Nothing should be taken out of the house on New Year’s Day. If you’ve got things to give to others, return to stores, etc. put them in your car on New Year’s Eve because they shouldn’t leave the house on New Year’s Day. Some people allow items to leave the house after something has been brought in. The idea here is that something should be added to your house before anything is taken away. So if you’re a First Footer with a goodie basket, you best buy that stuff on your way over.


What You Do at New Years, You Will Do All Year : While most of these superstitions and traditions are meant to usher in good luck while keeping bad luck at bay, what you do can reflect how you’ll live in the coming year. Recovering from a big party the night before? Your year will likely include being surrounded by friends and good times. Motivating to work out on New Year’s Day? Well look who might just drop 10lbs in the new year. Cleaning and organizing around the house? Sounds like a year full of getting things done. Sleeping the day away? Maybe you won’t be getting too much done in the new year. Reading Top 10 lists? Sounds good to us. Happy New Year.

Visit 13above For More Fun

Read more »