July 7 is the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain, a deeply rooted celebration held annually since 1591, interrupted only by the Spanish Civil War. The event was made famous with Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises. Each year thousands of people run and hundreds are injured.
This is an episode of one of my favorite programs, The Red Green Show, when they attempt their own version of the event.
Many communities and organizations provide alternate activities to protest what they see as cruelty to animals. The most famous of these is PETA’s (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) Running of the Nudes, which typically takes place on July 5.
Mataelpino, another city in Spain, has the Running of the Balls where people try to outrun one or more balls down a steep incline in the city. In 2017, however, it took its own malicious turn when one man was put into a coma and another hospitalized with three broken ribs while trying to outrun a 600 pound resin ball.
This image of the Running of the Nudes was taken by Melissa Karpel of PETA and has been released unconditionally into the public domain.
365 Holidays a Year 