El festival de las Fallas en España (The Fallas festival in Spain)

   Another year has come and los valencianos (Valencians) are already warming up for " las Fallas".

So if you're a firework lover or an artwork enthusiast, then "las Fallas" is just meant for you.

It is no hidden secret that Spain is widely known for its wonderful street festivals, among which is "el festival de las Fallas" or simply known as "Las Fallas" (The Fallas Festival.) This is a traditional festival which is celebrated in the city of Valencia in Spain. That is to say "the festival is peculiar just to the people of Valencia". Las Fallas is a fiesta celebrated in other to commemorate "San José" (Saint Joseph "the patron saint of carpenters")

This festival is over a hundred years old. In the Valencian language which is a dialect of Catalan, it is known as "Falles" while in Spanish (el castellano) it is known as "Fallas" the plural of "la falla" which simply refers to the fire lit, the doll constructions or even the festival itself.

Just like the 25th of December, the 14th of February, the timing of this festival is fixed and happens to be the same every year. So every year, Las Fallas kicks off from the 1st to the 19th of March with a public "Mascletà" (fireworks show) held everyday at 14:00 (2 pm) in the city hall square (en la Plaza de Ayuntamiento).
However, the main events start from the 15th to the 19th of March.

What to expect in the Festival or highlights of Las Fallas

-La Mascletà
-La Nit del Foc
-Los Ninots (La Plantà)
-La ofrenda a la Virgen
-La Cremà

La Mascletà:

The Mascletà is a wonderful spectacle of rowdy and colourful fireworks display held from the 1st of March to the 19th of March at 14:00 in the city hall square (en la Plaza de Ayuntamiento).

La Nit del Foc:

La Nit del Foc, which literally means "the Night of fire" is the most important and biggest part of "el castillo" (the castle" that is "firework displays from the 15th through 19th of March".) La Nit del Foc takes place on the night of the 18th with huge and beautiful displays of fireworks until the early morning of the 19th at 1:30 am.

La Ofrenda de flores a la Virgen de los Desamparados (Flower offerings to the Virgin Mary):

During "Las Fallas" from the 17th to the early morning of 18th March at 15:30 (3:30) pm, los falleros (male participants in "Las Fallas") and las falleras (female participants) offer bunch of flowers to the Virgin Mary, (Who is the patron saint of los Desamparados (The poor or the helpless) en Valencia), this is carried out by decorating a big wooden statue of the Virgin Mary with the flowers according to a particular design.

La Plantà:

This is one of the most important events carried out from 15th to 16th March. This is the act of installing los Ninots (puppets, dolls) "great artistry works made with combustible materials all round the city starting with "las fallas infantiles" (smaller puppets). After choosing the best falla infantil that will have the honour of burning last, the big ones are now installed and also the best ones (winning Fallas) will be separated to be among those that will be burnt last along with the two Fallas in the City hall square (Plaza de Ayuntamiento).

La Cremà:

This event is the most important and the last event of the festival which marks the end of the festival. On the 19th of March, (los valencianos) celebrate Saint Joseph's day (el día de San José) and on this particular day, all the Fallas (both small and big) will meet their tragic end by fire. To begin with, at 22:00 (las fallas infantiles) the small Fallas are burnt, at 22:30 the first place falla infantil is burnt and at 23:00, the falla infantil placed in the city hall square (Plaza de Ayuntamiento) is burnt.
In the same way the big Fallas will follow suit, being fuelled up simultaneously starting at 00:00 (12am). Then at 00:30, the winning Fallas meet their tragic demise and at 01:30, the big Falla in the city hall square (Plaza de Ayuntamiento) will be burnt to ashes, accompanied by a big firework display (castillo de fuegos artificiales).

However, before burning all the Fallas, a falla will be saved through public voting. This falla is known as "el ninot indultat" (the pardoned ninot) which will have the honour of being placed in the "Falla Museum" for all and sundry to admire.

Fíjate:

- This festival is also celebrated to welcome the Spring season.
-It is now listed by UNESCO as an “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”.
-Since it is a festival to usher in the Spring time, the burning of the Ninots or Las Fallas signifies getting rid of the old and ushering in the new.
Apart from all the highlights listed, there will also be a wonderful display of street food, beauty pageantries, parade, music, paella cooking contest, etc.