Las Fallas
When is Las Fallas?
Valencia's biggest celebration takes off on March 15th when creators and builders scramble to erect the elaborate fallas in one day, and comes to a blazing finale on March 19th when the architectural works of art burst into flames - yes, on purpose - to the cheers of thousands.
Where is Las Fallas?
The Mediterranean city of Valencia is home to this festive, one-of-a-kind pyrotechnic display.
Las Fallas Traditions
Renowned artists, painters, and sculptors take great care in designing and constructing the enormous fallas - some tower up to 30 meters high!- that dominate Valencia's public squares and open spaces. You won't be able to keep a smile off your face admiring the masterfully-created, colorful fallas depicting celebrities, politicians, and current events of the past year in an ever-satirical manner. While awards and prizes identify the best fallas and their creators, these crafty individuals tirelessly work for months fully aware that the fruits of their talents and labors will meet their end as piles of discarded ash. At midnight on March 19th, the day of San José, the city quite literally lights up as the 370 large fallas and 368 smaller infantile fallas burst into colorful flames.
While the week-long fiesta certainly revolves around the axis of the fallas and their eventual ignition, it also sparks the participation of the entire city. Valencian women pass through the city donning traditional regional dress, music brightens the atmosphere, the cheer of "Olé" erupts at first-class bullfights, fireworks explode in the sky, and general good times and partying fill the street around the clock.
History of Las Fallas
Loosely connected in its most distant origin to a pagan celebration of the spring equinox, the appropriately colorful history of Las Fallas spans centuries.
The fiery tradition that gave way to the magnificent Las Fallas celebration got its humble start in 1497 with simple artisans and carpinters. During the winter months, they had to spend the last few hours of each day working by the flickering light of oil lamps. These lamps hung from a wooden device called a parot, and to celebrate the arrival of warmer weather and longer days, they would burn these parots, dedicating the event to San José (Saint Joseph), the patron saint of carpinters.
Soon, they started having fun and getting creative by decorating these wooden structures, eventually even giving them human faces resembling characters of the neighborhood. Finally, the 18th century saw the next significant point on the timeline of Las Fallas, as groups of characters began appearing together to depict satirical and critical themes. Check out the final result of these carved makeshift "dolls" through the characters animating the impressive and ever-amusing fallas of today.
