Encierro
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Image:Encierro Pastrana1.jpg Image:Pastrana Encierro3.jpg Image:Encierro Pastrana2.jpg
El encierro, or the running of the bulls, involves running in front of bulls that have been let loose on a course of a sectioned-off subset of a town's streets. Most of these people try to get as close to the bulls as possible and many think it is good luck to touch a bull. The most famous encierro is that of the nine-day festival of San Fermin in Pamplona, though they are held in towns and villages across Spain during the fiesta season, usually in the run-up to the corrida, or bull-fight, and in some cities in northern France, most notably Bayonne. However, unlike bull-fights, which are performed by professionals, anyone feeling brave enough may take part in an encierro, and there is never any violence towards the bulls — even tail-pulling is frowned upon. Injuries are common, both to the participants who may be gored or trampled, and to the bulls, whose hooves grip poorly on the paved or cobbled street surfaces.
A typical encierro
Prior to the encierro, wooden or iron barricades are put up along the route that the bulls will follow, in order to block off side streets and to allow runners to quickly enter or exit the arena - the gaps are narrow enough to block a charging bull but wide enough for a person to slip through.
The encierro itself begins early in the evening. A firework is set off to notify townsfolk that the bulls have been released, though shouts of "aiba! aiba!" further up the street indicate the bulls are close by and on their way. Those not intending to run quickly head for the barricades or climb up onto first-floor balconies.
The bulls often become separated and stop running, preferring instead to charge at goading spectators. For this reason, a herd of older bulls are released in a second wave to collect strays.
The encierro ends with the bulls returning to the bull-ring, where some of the bulls or calves may be let loose for the amusement of the crowd. A bull-fight may then follow.
Literature
Ernest Hemingway wrote several novels and stories about this festival, including The Sun Also RisesTemplate:Spain-stub Template:Festival-stub