The Tunas of the Plaza Mayor

The corrido de toros, or the running of the bulls, no longer graces the Plaza Mayor in Salamanca. Where once there were drunken athletes and rampaging bulls, there are now strolling tourists and hungry diners. Truth be told, the running of the bulls, and bull fighitng in general, has become discouraged throughout the years due to the dangers for both man and beast. However, Salamanca does not allow Pamplona to monopolize all of the San Fermin festivities. The university town still finds a way to celebrate the traditions through their musical Tuna groups.

The Tunas are specific to Salamanca and date back to the XIII century when university students worked their way through school by singing at restaurants. Now, hundreds of years later, the Tunas still perform in the Plaza Mayor in their original costumes. The recording of CDs and the sea of cameras do not hinder the traditional group. Red and yellow bands duel from across the square while crowds gather and clap to the rhythm.

The night of July 7th was no exception. The Tunas were in full swing, singing ballads pertaining to the running of the bulls with their usual bravado and enthusiasm.

The 4th of July on Spanish Soil

The 4th of July is not a holiday in Spain, but the people of Salamanca treat it as such. For residents of the city the 4th is a day when the streets become congested with American visitors. Thanks to the 1,500 foreign students that are visiting the city this summer - 70 percent of whom are American students - the 4th of July serves as another way for the people of Spain to celebrate.

Throughout the day of independence, restaurants advertise American specialties like hot dogs or perritos calientes. Toward nightfall the Plaza Mayor becomes crowded with bar owners sporting American flags draped over their shoulders and handing out invitations to their nightclubs with promises of free drinks. American students did not disappoint. Hundreds, American or otherwise, flocked to the celebrations around the city and reveled in the red, white and blue decorations that draped ancient European buildings.

The contrast of a country so young celebrating in a country so ancient was not lost on many. The 4th of July may not be a part of Spanish culture, but in Spain any day to celebrate is a good day indeed.