La Charca

• Games played by children in Spain often resemble those played by children in the United States, such as La Charca, which is similar to hopscotch. Children draw several circles on the concrete with chalk and include a number in each circle. Children call out one of the numbers, then throw a stone or pebble attempting to land it in the called number. When a player throws a stone into the correct circle, she must hop through the circles until she reaches the one containing the stone. The child then picks up the stone and hops back to the beginning. If she successfully hops back without falling out of the circles, she writes her name in that circle and no one else can hop in that circle. The player with the most circles containing her name wins.
  
  

Tomatina

• Each year on the last Wednesday in August, the Spanish city of Valencia becomes the war grounds for the famous Tomatina. The Tomatina ends a week-long festival that includes fireworks, parades, food and street parties. Large trucks come into town filled with more than 90,000 pounds of tomatoes. The war begins with the first throw from one of the official instigators from the top of a tomato-filled truck. The total number of people who participate in this event is roughly 20,000, and they throw tomatoes at anyone in sight until the only thing left are seeds, pulp and tomato guts. The fight usually lasts a half hour and concludes with a trip to the river to wash.
  
  

Fiesta de San Mateo

• The traditional Spanish wine celebration takes place each September in Longrono, Spain. The week-long festival coincides with the feast day of Saint Matthew on Sept. 21. The city streets are filled with folkloric parades, fireworks, dragons, dancing giants and big=headed characters. Bars and restaurants offer wine and cuisine designed strictly for the festival.
  
  

Hogueras de San Juan

• The Festival of San Juan marks the celebration of the longest day of the year, the summer solstice. The Hogueras de San Juan is a week-long celebration that takes place from June 20 to 29. Drinking, dancing and fireworks take place at 2 p.m. daily and every evening. On the evening of June 29, paper-mache figures are burned along the town streets leading to the beach, where large bonfires are lit and parties are held into the morning hours.
  
  

Loosing a Tooth

• Spanish children who loose a baby tooth are visited by a different type of tooth fairy. Spanish tradition involves a mouse, which takes the lost baby tooth from under the child's pillow, replacing it with a coin.