Las Fallas in Valencia

18 March 2012

This weekend marks the end of one of the most anticipated holidays in Valencia! Even though I didn't have the chance to make my way to Valencia for Las fallas, I wanted to be sure to write a little about this neat fiesta.

Las fallas (possibly coming from the Latin for "torch") is a five day long festival in honor of Saint Joseph--which culminates in the burning of the fallas. Historically, it was a festival to mark the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Nowadays, I'm not sure if it's so much a holiday to honor St. Joseph as an excuse to burn things. It's a pyromaniac's dream holiday!

People spend all year preparing for this special celebration! Different neighborhoods in the city of Valencia form groups--called Casal Faller--that get together to create a ninot--which are made of materials like paper-mache, plaster, wood, and cardboard. These ninots are by no means small--or cheap to make for that matter. Some ninots are around 20 feet tall! The ninots typically are satirical in nature--making fun of political figures, celebrities, and events of the previous year.

In the week leading up to Fallas, each neighborhood takes their falla around the city to show off their work.

The festival itself actually only lasts for 5 days--in which there is basically non-stop firecrackers, partying, and fire.

For people, like me, who are easily startled by unexpected firecrackers in the streets, the five day celebration is enough to give you an anxiety attack. Each day at 2:00 PM, the Mascletà occurs in each neighborhood. These are firework/firecracker displays that are made to gain the honor of supplying the display for the final mascletà. 


Throughout the week, there are fireworks displays at night--ending with the Nit del Foc--the Night of Fire. This is the night with the biggest, most impressive fireworks. 



However, the most important event is the cremà on the last night of Fallas. On this night, the fallas are burned--all except one! People vote on one falla each year to save--which ends up in the Fallas museum. 


Even though I didn't get the chance to go to Valencia for this holiday, I'll get to have a similar experience in June when Alicante has its own version of Fallas. Hogueras!