What are the origins of this fun-filled festive custom?
In the 1850s, an uneasy truce existed between American and British inhabitants of the San Juan Islands, between Vancouver Island and the state of Washington.
France then demanded 600,000 pesos from Mexico. And when they didn't pay, France blockaded Mexican ports with war ships and raided the city of Veracruz, resulting in Mexico declaring war on France. The British eventually helped break the truce, and Mexico ended up paying France the pesos.
In the early 1600s, the Dutch and the Portuguese were trading titans when it came to spices. The market was lucrative, and their vast naval resources contributed to their dominance of the international market.
Rice was poorly distributed and severely taxed. Local Vietnamese rebels, the Viet Minh, decided then to take action. They encouraged the ransacking of rice warehouses and refused to pay taxes. This eventually lead to the Indochina War.
Following Mexico's independence from Spain, the country was in chaos. This led to the damage of many businesses, including that of French pastry chef Monsieur Remontel, in 1838. Remontel asked the Mexican government for compensation, and when he was ignored, he turned to the French government.
During this time, there was a lot of animosity between Serbia and Austria-Hungary. But they kept peace thanks to mutually beneficial trade agreements. However, Serbia went around those agreements by selling pork to Bulgaria. In retaliation, Austria-Hungary closed off all trade with Serbia. They even spread rumors that Serbian pigs were diseased, in order to ruin their trade elsewhere.
You probably know that the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand kicked off World War I in 1914. But did you know that one of the regional tensions that led up to it was caused by pork?
During the Imperial period, Egypt produced wheat that was exported to Rome and other regions of the Mediterranean. As one of its main grain suppliers, Egypt became known as "the breadbasket of Rome."
In 1854, Mormons and the indigenous Sioux tribe in the Nebraska Territory lived in peace. But it didn't last long. In what is now Wyoming, a cow belonging to Mormon travelers wandered too far from the herd and was killed by a Native.
The war ended when Ercole negotiated a treaty with the Venetians, without Sixtus. The Pope was so furious he died of heart failure.
In 1482, the War of Ferrara, also known as the Salt War, broke out in Italy. It was fought over the trade of salt, which was restricted to Venice due to a commercial pact. A man named Ercole violated this pact by selling salt in Ferrara. Pope Sixtus IV wasn't amused, and declared war on Ercole with his Venetian allies.
An army was convened near Perth, and marched out to meet the emus on the battlefield. In one instance, machine guns killed only 10 to 12 birds from a flock of 1,000, who managed to get away. The Australian press loved it.
In 1932, an overabundant emu population decimated crops in Western Australia. The farmers in the region were World War I veterans, who were granted land by the government in exchange for their service. In order to avoid a PR disaster, the government declared war on the birds. Of course, today that decision would spark huge backlash!
The Sons of Liberty, a political organization, decided to show Britain what they really thought of the taxes, by throwing tea into the Boston Harbor. This essentially started the American Revolution.
In the 1840s, the salt flats of the El Paso valley were common lands under Spanish and Mexican law. But under American law, the salt flats were considered unclaimed territory.
Selim's favorite drink was Cypriot wine. And when he started to run out of it, he decided to get more by attacking Cyprus. While it was a success at first, the backlash was devastating. The Sultan lost his entire navy, and the Ottoman Empire began its decline.
The Ottoman Empire was at its height when Sultan Selim II came to power in 1566. However, he didn't care as much about his people as he did about wine, hence his nickname Selim the Drunk.
In 1945, a devastating rice famine in Vietnam resulted in the deaths of as many as two million people. It was caused by the lingering effects of World War II, natural disasters, and French and Japanese occupation.
But tensions boiled over in 1859, when a British pig wandered onto an American farm and ate some potatoes. The war was triggered by the shooting of the pig. Fortunately, there were no casualties on either side—aside from the pig.
In 1839, Missouri and Iowa were in hot dispute over a small strip of land. Missouri demanded taxes for the land and Iowa refused. Then Missouri tax collectors cut down a number of valuable honey bee trees to take as payment.
The world has experienced many wars, and, believe it or, for some it was food that set things off. While several were bloodless conflicts, others were truly brutal. But don't go thinking that wars fought over food began because someone was hangry!
In some cases, food wars were caused by misunderstandings. At other times, food was used as a convenient excuse in territorial disputes. But regardless of how these wars started, food played a major role in every single one.
Curious about these conflicts? Then check out the following gallery.
After the American Civil War, the states that belonged to the Union were required to adopt a new constitution. Texas adopted it, which allowed individuals and corporations to claim mineral rights on lands and rivers. This sparked a conflict known as the El Paso Salt War.
Both countries formed trading companies, which instigated an intense rivalry. The Dutch eventually raided Portuguese trading posts throughout Africa, Asia, and the Americas. This began the Dutch-Portuguese War, which lasted from 1602 to 1663.
In 30 BCE, Cleopatra died and Egypt was ripe for the taking. The Romans went on to conquer the kingdom and used it as a means of getting grain for centuries after.
There were several reasons for the 1857 uprising, also known as the Indian Mutiny. But one in particular included the distribution of rifle cartridges, which had to be bitten to open, to Indian soldiers under the employ of the British Empire.
Not a big deal, right? Except the cartridges had been smeared in grease from cows and pigs, which can't be consumed by Muslims or Hindus. Soldiers refused to bite the cartridges, the British punished them, and they rebelled.
The white settlers went on to arrest the Sioux responsible and ended up killing the tribe's chief. In retaliation, the tribe killed 27 soldiers.
In the wake of this aggressive act, militias were assembled on both sides. Luckily, the Supreme Court got involved before any blood was shed.
See also: The longest and shortest wars in history
In 1773, the British imposed taxes on the American colonies for goods such as stamps, spices, and tea. This did not please the Americans.
Wars that incredibly started over food
Turns out that pastries can start a war!
LIFESTYLE History
The world has experienced many wars, and, believe it or, for some it was food that set things off. While several were bloodless conflicts, others were truly brutal. But don't go thinking that wars fought over food began because someone was hangry!
In some cases, food wars were caused by misunderstandings. At other times, food was used as a convenient excuse in territorial disputes. But regardless of how these wars started, food played a major role in every single one.
Curious about these conflicts? Then check out the following gallery.