On 28 December in Ibi, a town in the Alicante hills, a group of married men called the Enfarinats stage a coup: they declare themselves the government, issue absurd decrees, and fine citizens for invented offences, with the money going to charity. The opposition — the Oposició — contests this, and the dispute is settled with flour, eggs and fire extinguishers until the whole square is white.
The tradition is documented from around 1804 and attaches to the Día de los Inocentes, the Spanish day of practical jokes.
No attendance figure is published.
The date is fixed at 28 December and the battle runs through the morning only. Ibi is forty minutes inland from Alicante and is otherwise known for making most of Spain's toys — which is why the town's other claim is a toy museum.
PlanningFixed on 28 December, the Día de los Inocentes — one morning, and it is over by lunchtime.