I am an American born to a Spanish mother, and since I was a child I used to go to my mother’s village in the summer for holidays. In this village, as in many others in Spain, they celebrate the festivities, which have a religious origin honoring their saint, but now they are more of a general celebration for the whole village. Summer is the most typical time of the festivities, and it is when the villages are most crowded. Within this tradition there is another, that of the bulls. The bulls were made famous abroad by the writer Ernest Hemingway and the city of Pamplona, but in many villages they are celebrated in their own versions. The town councils and locals contribute to the purchase of one or more bulls or steers, and run around the town until they are sold out!

When I am asked in the USA what I think about this tradition, my answer is usually that it is a difficult subject. I don’t really know what I think. On one hand, I think it’s terrible, but on the other hand, I understand the tradition, even though this is not a reason to accept it. What I really don’t agree with is the torture of animals, and it is often true that they are tortured. On this occasion I want to show you these photographs and let you express your own opinions. The wonder of photography.