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In honor of Navarre capital's patron
saint, San Fermin, every year the
world famous bull running fiesta is
organized at Pamplona in Spain from
7th July - 14th July. Though more
than 3000 fiestas are held throughout
the year in Spain, the bull running
fiesta or San Fermin is one of the
most popular fiestas and fills those
seven days with spectacle and adventure.
On the 7th of July every year, runners
gather at the bottom of Santo Domingo
and sing to the image of San Fermin
seeking blessings and guidance through
the Bull Run. The event takes off
with the launch of a rocket and the
bulls are let off on a narrow street
(825 metres). A second rocket is launched
to alert the people about the fact
the bulls have already been let loose
on the street. The aim of the runners
is to run as close as possible before
the bulls without getting gored by
their horns, while leading them to
the bull ring.
It is said that San Fermin has come
from practicality. In the year 1591,
the residents merely herded the bulls
to the bull-fighting area. In the
beginning, the drovers lead the bulls.
But with the passage of time, the
butchers' guild joined in and chased
the bulls from behind along with the
drovers to the bull ring from Santo
Domingo- the starting point. At a
later stage, the event became more
popular and some dare devils started
to run not behind the bulls but in
front of them. In the year 1852 a
new bull ring was built and a shorter
route was adopted by the people for
easy and faster conveyance from Santo
Domingo Street.
In the beginning, only a handful
dared to run along with the bulls,
but as time passed by, the urge of
running in front of a 1500lb bull
caught the pulse of the people from
around the world and people in droves
came to this place to take part in
this mega event of the year.
For more information on other exciting
festivals around the world, please
browse through the pages of .
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