The battle of oranges! Italy's most carnival traditional festival

When the clock strikes 2 p.m., the city is filled with the sound of hooves, the roar and the strong smell of orange. Of all the carnivals I've been to this year, it's my second favorite. You could see that everyone in the city was literally in a state of ecstasy.

The annual "Orange War" Carnival is one of the highlights of the Historical Carnival of Ivrea in northern Italy. This tradition of throwing oranges between different teams is Italy's biggest food fight. According to Italian tradition, people throw oranges at each other to throw away a year's worth of bad luck and troubles. The carnival will last for three days and attract many tourists from all over the world.

Every February, the small Italian town of IVREA has a very interesting traditional festival called "Battaglia delle Arance". It's a massive orange war in which participants throw oranges at each other in the streets, simulating a medieval townspeople rebelling against a tyrant. The festival, which dates back to the 12th century and is part of the Italian Carnival, is full of cheerful atmosphere and historical significance.

As for the origin of the Orange War, it is said that during the Middle Ages, there was a dark period: during the reign of the tyrant Ranieri Biandrath. Years of tyranny have crushed the people.

Even more outrageous, he issued a particularly bizarre decree: every local bride must first sleep with him on the night of their wedding.

This tyranny lasted for many years, ending only when the woman, Violetta, married. The clever Violetta had planned this early in the morning and killed the Lord directly on their wedding night with an axe hidden in the room! And inspired the local population to rise up and take the Lord's castle.

Since then, the Ivrea people have been throwing food as Andrath's head, which has evolved into the "orange war" over time. But in fact, over the centuries, the food thrown out has evolved from beans, to later apples, and now oranges.

The reason for choosing oranges is also very interesting: modern Italian girls, if they want to show their affection to boys, will throw oranges at them from the terrace; If the feeling was mutual, the boys would throw back their oranges. This culture eventually merged with the "orange wars".

It is said that 500 tons of oranges are sent to Ivrea every year. The "fighting" people in the city will also be divided into two teams, the Lord's followers "soldiers" will appear in a carriage wearing clown clothes, and a group of "rebels" will stand on the level wearing sports clothes, and everyone will use oranges to attack each other.

One orange after another flew in the air, bursting orange juice with pulp on the "soldiers" body. The whole town turned into a sea of orange. And the crushed pulp and juice symbolized the blood of the tyrant.

The rebels were divided into nine teams in different uniforms, and they threw oranges at different points in the "battlefield." After the battle, judges will choose the best "rebel" team based on several criteria, such as the skill of throwing oranges and whether the uniforms are beautiful. Violetta, the legendary woman, is portrayed by a woman dressed in white and wearing a crimson headdress, who throws yellow flowers and sweets to the crowd.

Throwing a sweet orange is a great way to get rid of your worries. And everyone enjoyed it.

💡 Tips
Wear a red hat: If you don't want to get involved in a fight, remember to wear a red hat to show neutrality.
Wear protective gear: For safety, participants are required to wear protective gear, especially helmets.
Take photos: Don't forget to bring your camera to record this unique carnival!