Every 28th of December, the town of Ibi in Alicante explodes into one of Spain’s most eccentric fiestas: the Festa dels Enfarinats (Fiesta of the Floured People).
On this day, local tradition allows a gang of flour‑covered pranksters to seize power, by pelting their opponents with eggs, flour, and the occasional firecracker. It’s politics, Spanish‑style: a bit of theatre, a bit of anarchy, and a lot of mess.
The night before
Festivities unofficially start the evening before, on 27th December, when the Amantats (locals draped in blankets) parade through the streets. Their job is to announce that the Enfarinats (floured people) will take over the town the next morning.
The big day: 28th December
By 09:00, the Enfarinats arrive, dressed in patched, brightly coloured outfits and sporting painted faces. Their mission is to storm the main square, overthrow local order, and impose their own version of justice.
Opposing them is the Opposition, a group determined to resist their flour‑flinging coup. What follows is nothing short of mayhem: eggs, flour, and rockets flying through the air as both sides battle it out.
A day of fines and fun
Once they’ve seized “power,” the Enfarinats don’t just lob flour about. They also hand out fines to townsfolk under the watch of their mock mayor, judge, secretary, and bailiffs. Those unwilling to cough up are promptly “arrested” using the Aixavegó (a big net). The money collected is later donated to charity.
At lunchtime, a truce is declared so everyone can enjoy a local meal. The day concludes with the Dansá, a traditional dance led by the King and Viceroy, bringing the fun and madness to a close.
A tradition with ancient roots
The exact origins of the Festa dels Enfarinats remain a bit hazy. Some historians connect it to the Roman Saturnalia, a festival when the social order was turned upside down. There is evidence of Ibi’s winter festivities as far back as 1636, though records of the flour fights are scarce.
The tradition fizzled out in the 1950s, only to be revived by a group of friends in 1981. Since then, the festival has become livelier each year, even gaining Regional Tourist Interest status in 2009. It is now covered widely in the media and draws plenty of curious spectators!
