Holidays in Portugal - Birthday of Portuguese bullfighting

The battle between people and animals in the circus arena is a thrilling spectacle that has its roots in the gladiator fights of the ancient Romans It is believed that in Europe these organized performances appeared after the capture of Spain by the Gauls at the beginning of the 1st century AD However, scientists believe that the origins of the spectacle should be sought in the pre-Indo-European bull cult Traditional fun appeared on the Iberian Peninsula back in the Bronze Age Both gladiators and animals - elephants, bulls, rhinoceroses - took part in the battles organized by the Romans After the collapse of the empire, wild African animals disappeared from the circus arena Despite the disapproval of the pagan action and the prohibitions of the Christian Church in the 16th century, bullfighting continued to exist The Spaniards watched with delight the struggle of desperate daredevils with bulls that had long lived on the Iberian Peninsula The first bullfight, according to written sources that have survived to this day, took place in Castile in 711 in honor of the coronation of King Alfonso VII Today, the bull show, which ends with the killing of the animals, is a national symbol of Spain Toreadors, the main characters of the spectacle, risking their lives, are incredibly popular among the fairer sex The Spanish tradition of organizing bullfights has also taken root in the territory of the neighboring country - Portugal, where bullfighting is the least bloody At the end of the competition, a bull aged 3-4 years weighing 500-600 kg is sent not to the slaughterhouse, but to a pen In Portuguese bullfighting, special covers are put on the animal’s horns before training or performances begin, which soften the blows The duel between man and beast is a duel, a test of strength and a challenge that the furkadouche in the red cloak poses to himself A holiday was established in honor of the sociocultural phenomenon August 14 marks the birthday of Portuguese bullfighting Caballero, who rides a horse into the arena at the beginning of the performance and wounds the bull, inflicting wounds on it with a sharp lance, and Fourcadush, a foot fighter, perform in national clothes Only Lusitanian stallions are suitable for bullfighting Horses of this breed are distinguished by their calm disposition and imperturbable character - a rushing and roaring bull does not cause fear in them A purebred Lusitano, the closest relative of the Andalusian horse, is quite expensive, as is its maintenance Therefore, in ancient times, only representatives of the Portuguese aristocracy acted as a caballero, demonstrating masterly control of a stallion in the arena There are almost no professional four-douches left in the country - today the arena is most often attended by amateurs who lack adrenaline in their blood Any Portuguese can demonstrate agility, strength and composure: “infantes” 10-14 years old, “juveniles” up to 18 years old and men up to 40-45 years old Despite the fact that there are few hereditary fourcados left, and bullfights are not as bloodthirsty as in Italy, torada (“bullfighting” in Portuguese) is very popular Fans of the sacred performance watch not only the competitions themselves, but also the many hours of training that take place on the eve of the performance in the town of Montemor o Nuovo, located in the district of Évora And although there are also clowns in bright clothes in the arena, periodically turning the attention of the angry bull to themselves, most young Portuguese women dream of becoming the girlfriend of the fourcados In addition to national clothes and a red cloak, fighters wear ties to performances Red is suitable for daily wear A black tie is worn by a fourkadouche if one of his friends or relatives dies The symbiosis of sports competition, sacred rites and spectacular performances is admired by most residents of the Iberian Peninsula Therefore, every year in the city of Abiul on August 14, celebrations dedicated to the birthday of Portuguese bullfighting are held