The Fallas (Falles in Valencian) are the great festival of Valencia and one of the most spectacular in Spain. Since 2016 they have been UNESCO intangible cultural heritage. The festival peaks between 15 and 19 March, the feast of St Joseph, patron of carpenters, but preparations last all year and events begin on 1 March.
Origins
According to the most common tradition, the festival grew from the custom of Valencian carpenters burning, at the start of spring, wood scraps and the old lamp supports used in winter. Rags and old objects resembling dolls were added to these bonfires, and over time the dolls became satires of local people and events.
Fallas and ninots
Today fallas are monuments of papier-mâché, wood, polystyrene and wax, sometimes over twenty metres tall, built by craftsmen for each neighbourhood (comisión fallera) and made up of dozens of figures called ninots. They ironically portray politics, current affairs, pop culture and society's vices. Several hundred, large and small (the infantiles, for children), are erected in the city, with a competition rewarding the best. On the night of 15 March, the plantà, the monuments are set up in the streets.
Main events
- The mascletà: from 1 to 19 March, every day at 2 pm in Plaza del Ayuntamiento, a pyrotechnic show of pure explosion, rhythm and noise that shakes your chest. It is the Valencians' favourite event.
- The Ofrenda: on 17 and 18 March thousands of falleras and falleros in traditional costume parade with bouquets of flowers for the Virgen de los Desamparados, the city's patron, forming a gigantic floral mantle in the Basilica square.
- The Nit del Foc: the night of 18-19 March, the festival's biggest fireworks display.
- The Cremà: on the night of 19 March all the fallas are burned, starting with the infantiles and, around 1 am, the Town Hall's. Only one ninot a year is saved, the ninot indultat, chosen by popular vote and kept in the Fallas Museum.
Practical tips
- During the Fallas Valencia is extremely crowded and noisy day and night: firecrackers and dawn despertàs are part of the festival.
- Book accommodation well ahead and bear in mind that many central streets are closed to traffic.
- For the mascletà, arrive in the square at least an hour early, or follow it from a side street.
- Try buñuelos de calabaza, pumpkin fritters, with hot chocolate, and paella, born right here (see Spanish cuisine).
- The rest of the year, the Fallas Museum and the Museum of the Fallas Artists' Guild reveal the history and art of the festival.
Other towns in the Valencian Community, such as Dénia, Xàtiva and Burriana, also celebrate Fallas, while Alicante holds the similar Hogueras de San Juan in June. See Spanish festivals.