Fallas festival Valencia
Spain - Barcelona - Seville - Valencia - Madrid
Spain is a country of festivals and events. Most of the festivals are full of color and pomp but there is one festival of Spain which involves gunpowder, smoke and fire. Yes, this famous festival of Spain is the Fallas festival, Valencia. If you like to see fire burning effigies of celebrities and fireworks adorning the night sky, then you must visit this city of Spain. The unique thing about this festival is that it began as a feast day for St. Joseph and later on became a 5 day festival involving burning of effigies and other fireworks. The origin of this festival is quite interesting. It is said that during the 16th century, Valencia had street lights only during winter that were hang on wooden structures. These were burnt on St. Joseph’s Day as the days became longer, which ultimately led to this festival of fire.
Now, many of you would wonder what exactly this festival is. The highlight of this festival is making of huge structures of famous celebrities, both national and international and then burning them on the last day of the festival. These structures are made with cardboard, wood etc and they often take almost half a year to be completed. Sometimes these structures are so tall that they had to be taken by cranes. On the first day of the festival they are placed in 350 important crossroads and parks in Valencia, and they remain there till the last day known as ‘La Crema’, when they are burnt. Before the festival begins, the local firemen cover the fronts of every store and building nearby with fireproof tarps.
During the days of the festival you can enjoy other fun filled activities in this city of Spain. Watch the famous bull fight of Spain or if you are food lover then you can go for the paella contests and even can watch local beauties in the beauty pageants held in the city.
On the last day of the Fallas festival, Valencia youths of Valencia come with axes by early evening and after chopping holes in the statues, they fill them with fire crackers. Soon, crowds began to gather and the streetlights are turned off. At the stroke of midnight fire the structures are set onto fire. Soon after the sky becomes red and foggy with smoke of gunpowder and loud noises shakes the grounds of the city! However, by popular voting one of the structures is not burnt and put in the local museum with the exhibits of the previous years.
To watch this noisy and fiery festival of Spain you must be in Spain from March 15th-19th. However, you must book the hotel in advance because though Valencia is a city with a population of half a million only at this time its population jumps to about 3 million since people from all over Spain and from foreign countries alike come to visit this unique Falls festival, Valencia
Now, many of you would wonder what exactly this festival is. The highlight of this festival is making of huge structures of famous celebrities, both national and international and then burning them on the last day of the festival. These structures are made with cardboard, wood etc and they often take almost half a year to be completed. Sometimes these structures are so tall that they had to be taken by cranes. On the first day of the festival they are placed in 350 important crossroads and parks in Valencia, and they remain there till the last day known as ‘La Crema’, when they are burnt. Before the festival begins, the local firemen cover the fronts of every store and building nearby with fireproof tarps.
During the days of the festival you can enjoy other fun filled activities in this city of Spain. Watch the famous bull fight of Spain or if you are food lover then you can go for the paella contests and even can watch local beauties in the beauty pageants held in the city.
On the last day of the Fallas festival, Valencia youths of Valencia come with axes by early evening and after chopping holes in the statues, they fill them with fire crackers. Soon, crowds began to gather and the streetlights are turned off. At the stroke of midnight fire the structures are set onto fire. Soon after the sky becomes red and foggy with smoke of gunpowder and loud noises shakes the grounds of the city! However, by popular voting one of the structures is not burnt and put in the local museum with the exhibits of the previous years.
To watch this noisy and fiery festival of Spain you must be in Spain from March 15th-19th. However, you must book the hotel in advance because though Valencia is a city with a population of half a million only at this time its population jumps to about 3 million since people from all over Spain and from foreign countries alike come to visit this unique Falls festival, Valencia
