Spanish corrida interesting facts

When you think about Spain, what comes to your mind first? Could be corrida, right? Well, this type of leisure is closely associated with Spanish culture, this is what Spain is famous for. However, how much do you know about it?

First of all, the term corrida is more of a foreign one; the Spaniards call it simply toros, which means bulls which is more related to the English term bullfighting. However the word corrida originates from the verb correr which means «to run» which also has significant meaning.
Afoot corrida as we know it, was invented only in XVIII century. Before that bullfighters entered the arena on horseback. However, king Philipp V who detested bullfighting ordered that ever since toreros should perform on foot. Corrida became a lower class entertainment because those people could not afford horses.
Bulls selected for the show are the ones related to aurochs (urus), and should be around 5 years old and weigh no less than 450kg.
The bullfighting arena has a round shape so that bulls cannot hide.
Both men and women can participate in corrida, however the latter can choose the bull to fight with while the former cast lots.
The bloody ending is not a must! If the audience loved the bull’s performance it can ask to save its life.
The notorious «red rag» actually, has no power over the bull. Neither does any other one. Bulls are color-blind, they only react to torero’s movements. The red color however, is for enhancing the atmosphere and make the bloodstains less noticeable.
In Barcelona corrida is officially banned from 1 January, 2012. The last performance held in September of 2011 has gathered 20 thousand people.
«The day when Brussels will decide to ban corrida will be the last for Spain inside the European Union», – said the former king Juan Carlos I about the EU parlament’s opinion concerning this type of entertainment. Luckily, the majority of Spaniards find this statement quite harsh.

As mentioned earlier, people’s attitude to bullfighting is quite twofold. Some believe the ex-king is right, and corrida should never be banned as an inseparable part of Spanish culture. Others however, think it’s cruel and fight against bull killing, and the number of defenders continues to grow. Who knows, maybe in the nearest future this thrilling tradition will become history.