The Battle of the Oranges

(YouTube link)

Every year during Carnival, the people if Ivrea, Italy, re-enact a 12th-century battle in which the downtrodden townspeople overthrew their evil overlord. They do this by flinging oranges at each other! Why oranges? Because it’s better than the beans they used to use in the old days. After three days of throwing oranges, many are left to nurse their bruises and the streets are ankle-deep in citrus pulp. You can read all about the origins of the tradition at Smithsonian. The video above is the 2012 Battle of the Oranges. This year’s re-enactment starts Sunday and will run through Tuesday (Mardi Gras).


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