By Carolyn Lutes, API Director of Student Services

The region of Catalonia in the northeast of Spain (Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia) banned bullfighting in September 2011. That decision gave much attention to this national custom and brought forth many opinions both in favor of and against the sport.

As a foreigner, a bullfight can be difficult to watch and difficult to understand. It is a sport that is steeped in local tradition, so it helps to have a native nearby to explain what is happening, both in the ring and outside it as the spectators react to the action in the ring.

The bullfighters are highly regarded in Spanish society and make a grand entrance into the ring.

Several bullfighters take part in each bullfight:

The bullfighter prepares for the final strike:

The dead bull is pulled out of the ring and the meat is prepared for sale:

This fact and more details about bull fighting can be found by clicking this link.