Bullfighting in Spain

Do you recognize what this is? This is a bullfighting ring, where a matador fights against a bull. You may have heard of this sport even if you don't completely understand it. If you were in Spain, you would have the chance to attend a bullfight in many different cities within the country. This is one of Spain's favorite pastimes and those who actively participate in the sport can earn as much as the country's top athletes or musicians. There are bullfighting rings in many cities and the Spaniards consider the sport to be an art form. The bullfighting ring in Madrid, La Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas is an enormous structure that seats 25,000 people. There are bullfights in this Plaza de Toros every night for a three week period of time in May and June.

Perhaps the most well known bullfighting event is the "Running of the Bulls" that is held in Pamplona each July. During this fiesta, many people gather to run ahead of the bulls through the streets of Pamplona, Spain. The run lasts only three minutes, on the average, and is generally televised for the world to see. It is considered to be a very dangerous event and in the past there have been deaths and injuries as a result of this event.