fallas in valencia is a traditional celebration held in commemoration of saint joseph , and a way of waving goodbye to the winter, while welcoming spring.
this is how it goes:
each neighborhood of the city has an organized group of people, the casal faller, that all year long works by holding fundraising parties and dinners, usually featuring the famous valencia’s dish “paella”. goal is to construct what is known as falla, in order to eventually burn it!
fallas:
the fallas, giant papier-mâché figures, often 20 feet tall and more, parade through the city for the 5 day event until the climax on the fifth day. their theme is usually satirical. either political figures, sope stars or movie exotic creatures, the mood is colorful and playful.
mascletas:
every afternoon at 2pm in plaza del ayuntamiento, an audio firework display takes place.
you already know that spanish people are known to be loud, here you can feel it to the fullest. just imagine that the fireworks and with the terremoto, which means earthquake.
la desperta.
this is the waking alarm during the fallas. brass bands appear from the casals and begin to march down every street playing lively music . meanwhile, the valencians offer people free of charge firecrackers outside their windows at 8am in the morning! So oversleeping after a night out is not an issue.
ofrenda de flores a la virgin de los desamparados: (the flower offering)
meanwhile with all the firework parade thing going on, another really important event takes place to honour valencia’s patron virgin.
thousands of falleros and falleras arrive to the city from all around the valencian state, wearing traditional costumes and dancing while they wend their way towards plaza de la virgen, to offer bouquets to the giant image of the virgin.
each of the five fallas days is full of party and celebration, while around the city you can witness the giant figures.
the fourth night, “the night of fire” is when the celebrations draw to an end with an amazing firework display in the paseo de la alameda.
the fifth night, the climax of the whole fallas event is when the crema (burning) takes place. all around the city, the giant figures are lit up. first the fireworks on them and afterwards the whole falla burns up. traditionally the falla in plaza del ayuntamiento in the one to burn last.
only the best of all the fallas is left unharmed, winning a place in the fallas museum for all eternity.
fallas 2014
15-19 of march
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