You’ve surely heard about it once before: “Valencia is the city of flowers, light and love”. During the last days of winter the loving festival of the Valencian people in celebrated: Las Fallas. And today, we would like to introduce you to this mix of tradition, amusement and emotion that is present on the Valencian streets during the third month of the year. Would you like to know what they celebrate? Which things you definitely cannot miss? Let’s go and discover the secrets of Las Fallas!
What to see and do during Las Fallas Valencia?
Mascletá at 2:00 pm
Las Fallas is celebrated every year from 15 until the 19th of March. However, in reality it starts at the last Sunday of February. The real party is indeed during this last week, but you feel Las Fallas from the beginning of March. Besides that, from the 1st of March until the 19th of March, there will be a Mascletá at Plaza del Ayuntamiento, every day at 2:00 pm. Those responsible for this show of fire are the Falleras Mayores of the year (each falla committee chooses its own Fallera Mayor). Also a Fallera Mayor Infantil is chosen, the representative of the children – she always is 14 years old or younger. If you hear the following sentence: “senyor pirotècnic, pot començar la mascletà”, prepare yourself, because both your heart and the ground will start shaking. It is a firework show with many bangs and sometimes colours. It is amazing to see how the Valencian population is emotionally involved in this festival.
Illuminated streets
Besides the fireworks in all the streets of Valencia, there is something else that illuminates the city: Las Calles Iluminadas (The Illuminated Streets). Those can be found in the Ruzafa district; every year two streets are competing to be the most beautiful illuminated street: Calle Cuba and Calle Sueca. A big gate with hundreds of colours followed by a tunnel of light, it’s like a dream! From the weekend before the last week of Las Fallas, there is a fantastic show every night, every hour.
La plantà
It’s the moment all the “Fallas” are ready and located on the street. While the lights and sounds fill the city, there is one more thing that is essential to Las Fallas: the “Ninots” (the dolls that are part of a Falla). These are enormous monuments that they have worked hard to create in the previous 11 months, they are placed on hundreds of crossroads in Valencia. The moment that is being looked forward to is “La plantà”. This day always the 15th of March, the day on which the monuments are finally exhibited to the public.
Fireworks
Such a party should also have a firework show. It takes place during the night of the 18th of March, at 1:30 am. This specific show is called “la nit del foc”, Valencian is for: “the night of fire”. Literally the whole sky illuminates with colours gunpowder and beautiful lights. This spectacle takes place in the old riverbed the Turía, the artery of the city.
Flower offering
In many Spanish cities they offer flowers to the saint of the city during their festivals, but in Valencia they have a very unique way in contrast to other cities. In Valencia the flower offering takes places on 17 and 18 March. Only members of the Fallas associations can participate, ie only members dressed in traditional clothing. Every Falla has a timetable to offer flowers to “la Virgen”. The flowers form the mantle of la Virgen, in the colours red, white and pink, so that the image stays true to the original. It is one of the most emotional moments where tradition and art merge in the heart of la Plaza de la Virgen.
Churros, porras and buñuelos
Where during the day the smell of gunpowder is in the streets, in the evening a delicious aroma starts to fill the streets. It is the aroma of the churros, porras and buñuelos. In the main streets of Valencia we find a lot of stalls where they not only sell these delicacies, but many more goodies such as hot chocolate, horchata and cotton candy. And with the nice weather, which is possible in March, it is even more pleasant to walk along the Fallas while enjoying a traditional snack or drink.
La cremà
And finally in the evening of March 19, all the Fallas monuments will be turned into ashes. Firemen pull out to keep the fires under control and all the Fallas will be set to fire. Finally, the Falla Mayor (the most important one) at the Plaza del Ayuntamiento is set on fire. It is something traditional en therefore also very emotional. This way the Valencians say farewell to Las Fallas and to prepare for the next year.