Besides the well-known and well-established events which take place during the Fiesta, there are always some periferal new innovations springing up just so as to have a good time. Some never get beyond that stage and they are soon forgotten. But others gradually tend to become an annual tradition and maybe even get recognised as an official part of the programme - a case in point being the Riau-riau.

Then there are always a few events that, for whatever reason - maybe because they are dangerous, or anti-establishment, or go against the grain of public order - which are not given much airing. For example...

THE FOUNTAIN IN THE NAVARRERIA.

There are some age-old activities which have become an essential part of the Fiesta and which are unchangable and untouchable. But from generation to generation some new fads come and go with the years. In the last few years one such new fad has been taken up at the fountain in the Navarreria [map]. This was begun by some Australian visitors who used to meet up together at a bar -The Mejilloneria - near the fountain.

They got the idea of climbing up the St. Cecilia fountain and diving off the top into the waiting arms of their mates below. There is no fixed hour for this action - it just takes off spontaneously at any time during the day and anyone can do it. But it can be dangerous, if the bodies waiting to catch you below should stumble or slip up, you will hit the hard flagstone with a thump. There has already been more than one serious accident here. Even if you don´t want to jump, it´s worth having a look at these guys - mostly foreigners - doing their own peculiar thing during the San Fermin Fiesta. Just beside the Fountain, you can get a good view from one of the classic old bars of Pamplona - The Meson. Worth a visit.

HUMAN RACE

Since 2002, each 5th of July sees the appearance of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) where the organization arranges a very original race along the same stretch used for the running of the bulls in the Sanfermin fiestas each morning between the 7 th through 14 th of July. The 5 th of July sees a kind of anti-running of the bulls where only humans take part and they do so to vindicate the stance that no animals should ever be used for human diversion.

What makes this event rather notorious is the fact that the participants run in the nude or semi-nude. In their pelts or semi-pelts. As the event is good-humoured and cheerful, despite the seriousness of their claims, the meeting has always received authorization from the local authorities.

They have achieved a lot of headlines in both the newspapers and on TV. Not surprisingly, as Pamplona is not exactly used to seeing a herd of half-naked men and women running through its streets. The organization has gradually attracted more and more followers and from the 20 or so in 2002, they can now count their numbers in hundreds.

This event is gradually becoming a singular attraction in Pamplona and who knows if maybe some day it might get included in the official Fiestas program of Sanfermin.

If you want more information, you can find it at http://www.petatv.com/

THE RUNNING OF THE BULLS ON THE MORNING OF THE 15th

Officially, the fiestas come to a close on the 14th of July, but there are those who prolong it into the morning of the 15 th , even creating their own "running of the bulls". This particular running has its origins in the legendary "Running of the public bus". With the official fiestas over, this morning bus would once again take up its habitual route by way of the slope of Santo Domingo Street and pass by the now empty bull-pen.

The gathered crowd would anxiously await its early-morning appearance. They would sing in front of the niche to the saint (now substituted by an empty bottle) and of course, it was prohibited to shout to catch the attention of the "beast", etc. This was a tongue-in-cheek disrespect to the established order for having brought the fiestas to a close. And the established order was not amused. So it has done all it can to stop this "running in front of the early-morning bus". The bus schedule was changed to ensure that it would not run at that time. But for some people it didn't make any difference. They just ran in front of whatever vehicle made an appearance - perhaps a delivery truck heading for the nearby public market or indeed, any vehicle that came up Santo Domingo Street .

Lately, the thing has changed somewhat. Now the crowd run in front of a cyclist (dressed in his proper gear, of course) or someone dressed up in a "bull" suit. And there are some homilies sung to the saint, to whom some have given the name of Holy Patron of the 15 th . It would seem that it is a saint somewhat "under the weather" and very much alive, who parades about after the "Pobre de Mí" closing ceremony and goes about blessing the people until the early-morning running takes place.

If you want more information, you can find it at http://usuarios.lycos.es/pamplona15dejulio

THE STAIR

The festival of San Fermin begins the 6th of July and finishes the 14th, but during the year, generally the week or two weeks before, different events take place in Pamplona connected with the fiesta; the day of the peñas, for example, which dates from some years back.

The first months of the year, on some specific dates, the people from the peñas, have special kind of parties to celebrate that the sanfermines are coming soon. This fad began some years ago and it is called "The stair".

Following the lyrics of the very famous song of sanfermines ("uno de Enero, dos de Febrero, tres de Marzo, cuatro de Abril, cinco de Mayo, seis de Junio, siete de Julio San Fermin. A Pamplona hemos de ir, con una media, con una media, a Pamplona hemos de ir con una media y un calcetín" / "first of January, second of February, third of March, fourth of April, fifth of May, six of June, seven of July San Fermin. To Pamplona we will go, with tights, with tights. To Pamplona we will go, with a tight and a sock") the members of the peñas celebrate each month, on a different day the fact that less time remains for the festivals to begin. They meet in their headquarters and prepare a big dinner, followed by a spree that will finish in the early hours of the next morning.

This "tradition" starts the first day of the year and continues, as it is said in the song, in different days of the next months.

It is not a very observed fad (it’s difficult to remember the dates), but when you see a group of people dressed in white and red, singing the typical San Fermin’s song, you see that the sanfermines are closer.

This new fad is just an excuse to have a dinner together and to realize that very soon the awaited festivals will begin again.

As well as the members of the peñas, some pubs play music of sanfermines in order to have a good atmosphere. Even only for some hours, the people look forward to with the idea of the sanfermines and they start to think how are they going to celebrate them.

DEPOSITING YOUR SILK NECKTIE AT SAN LORENZO

The red necktie is a classic symbol of the Fiestas. It is put on when the rocket goes off at 12.00 midday on the sixth of July. And it is worn until the closing of the Fiesta on the night of the fourteenth, when the Pobre de Mí - (Poor me) is sung by the sad crowd. Here, the multitude gather once more under the facade of the Town hall, in the gloom of the midnight air, with glimmering candles in hand, to bide a sad farewell to the Fiesta for another long year.

In the last years a new fad has come into fashion - so new that there is no official name yet for this rite - whereby the people, after having sung their sad farewell to the Fiesta, head for the church of San Lorenzo, where the statue of the Saint is kept, and they deposit their necktie and candles on the gates of the old church.

This Rite is becoming increasingly popular, despite the dim view taken by the authorities. The problem is that the greasy candles leave a pool of dirty grease on the ground and the local Parish Priest was the first to protest against this "vandalism" in the local press when the custom began. No doubt, as soon as a solution is found for getting rid of this mess, the rite will become officially accepted, as has happened with so many other customs throughout the long history of the San Fermin Fiesta

Our friend Jim Hollander has sent us a good collection of photos to show you how serious this new "tradition" is becoming.

THE "ESTRUENDO DE IRUÑA"

This is just another annual tradition which doesn’t get a mention in the official guidebook, but which has become an annual tradition. There is no fixed date for it ; it usually takes place in the middle of the week late at night, once the initial explosion of the first days has been got over.

It started some thirty years ago and the idea is that a crowd collects behind the Town Hall with any kind of musical instrument or anything that can make a loud noise, and they set off on parade through the streets.

Anybody can join in, grap a drum, or whatever and get down there to the Town Hall about 12.00 midnight. At this hour they always play the traditional piece _ Agur Jaunak, and then set off round the nearby streets. They always finish three or four hours later at the little well of San Saturnino, half dead and half sloshed (from the many stops for refreshment made along the way).

GUIRI DAY

The guiri, the foreigner, is a very important part of the festivals, as we have known them for years; the Sanfermines would not be the same without them. Even if some try to camouflage among thecitizens of Pamplona (dressed in red and white), usually it is quite easy to know that they are not from here. Some insignificant details are the key that let us know they are foreigners; the red hat and the traditional footwear called "alpargatas", "typical" of sanfermines both of them, that nobody here would wear for different and, in other cases, obvious reasons. Their accent, as well, is quite curious for the citizens of this small city.

Anyway they don't have any problem to enjoy the festivals, as everybody here, drinking like elephants or diving off the top of the fountain of Navarreria. Year by year more and more foreigners come to Iruñea to see what is going on here.

Kukuxumusu organizes something every year to do an homage to them. Be on alert.

THE UNDERPANTS RACE

It is a new and very original "tradition", quite erotic in a way, which consists of taking off one's trousers and start running, until you reach the finishing line.

It began some years ago in 1986, when some guys members of the society "El Troncho" (in Campana street), nobody knows for what reason, maybe because they were drunk or just for a bet, decided one day to take off their trousers and run wearing only their underpants.

The race used to begin around 3 o'clock in the morning, between the 8th and the 9th of July (without exact date), and the participants used to run as far as the Iruña society, where they used to have a break drinking a glass of Chanpagne. After signing in the participant's paper, the runners used to go to the Plaza de San Francisco, just a few meters further, to have a little bit more of Champagne. Before reach the finishing line, situated in the "El Troncho" society, there was another chance to taste the sparkling French wine again in the Bar Bilbao. For that time the participants who were still running, used to have difficulties to keep their balance. And, of course, after the effort time for the trophies: the classic ones for the first and the second places, the wished for the most original and the dirtiest underpants and the last one for the last runner qualified.