Anna's Adventures Abroad: Las Fallas

When I chose to study abroad in Valencia, Spain, I had very few expectations. I knew I didn’t want to study in a big, touristy city; and I knew I wanted to go somewhere with warm weather. After doing some research and discovering Valencia, a beach town bordering the mediterranean sea, my decision was made. 

About a week before I left for Valencia I went to lunch with one of my friends from home who studied here during the previous semester, and she gave me all the insight on the city. All she could talk about was some festival called, “Las Fallas”. I had never heard of it and didn’t give it much thought after our conversation, but I thought it seemed cool based on all she had to say. I remember Abby telling me how how much money and time the city spent preparing for this one celebration and how jealous she was that I was going to get to experience it.

So, what is Las Fallas? After many attempts I still cannot explain this crazy festival in one sentence, or even two minutes. So here is my perception, experience and a few memories from hands down one of the craziest, most unique experiences I’ve ever had.

Fallas is a weeklong, or really monthlong, celebration in commemoration of St. Joseph. It also marks the beginning of the spring equinox. The holiday symbolizes a fresh start which is carried out by literally burning the old. During this week, millions of people come to Valencia to partake in this celebration and the population nearly triples in size.

Essentially, Fallas is a festival of fire. And it is straight up nuts. Starting in March, you can expect to hear firecrackers that sound like gunshots going off all day and night at any given time. Kids as young as five years old walk around with little wooden boxes full of explosives. They can be set off anywhere by anyone and there are certainly no rules when it comes to respecting others people space, or their eardrums. It doesn’t matter where you are or what time it is, there are firecrackers everywhere.

Fallas is a time where the entire community comes together to enjoy each others company and be a part of something bigger than themselves. Each neighborhood spends the year up until March raising money through parties, dinners, and fundraisers to build a falla and create a firework display for their neighborhood.

What is a falla? In Latin the word means torch, but a falla is a giant firecracker-filled structure that each neighborhood, or casal faller, constructs and decorates. Later on the final night of Las Fallas all of their artistic creations are burned as a symbolic gesture. Over the years, these sculptures have evolved from more literal depictions and historic representations to whimsical, satirical structures that are highly critical of modern society, as well as national and local government. This year, Donald Trump was a popular theme among Las Fallas. 

 

During the week of the festival, classes are cancelled and many businesses shut down; but it is no week of rest. There is so much to do and see. Once you venture out into the town you can expect to be out until sunset as the only way to get home is to walk and getting through the crowds can be a challenge. Here are a few of the events that make up the celebration. 

La mascletà. Every day starting the first day of March at 2pm there is a mascletà, or firework display, put on in the main town square. Just to give you an idea of how insanely loud this firecracker display is, I live two miles from the main square and it sounds like bombs are being thrown right outside of my window. Before the festival we had to attend meetings through our program on safety precautions and the dos and don’ts of Las Fallas. One of the rules they told us was to never plug your ears because the sound is so loud it can literally burst your eardrums; Instead, you have to open your mouth. While I never really grew accustomed to what sounded like the word coming to an end every day at 2pm, I did attend a few of the mascletàs and enjoyed the sensation of my entire body pulsing to the rhythm of the display and the shaking ground below. 

Los castigos. The fireworks. Along with la mascletà every day at 2pm are the fireworks displays every night at 12am. From the main bridge over the riverbed or the top of a building you can sit and watch some of the biggest fireworks displays in Europe. Valencians spend millions of dollars on just one display, and these go on every night for a week. They even fund the displays through taxes! All I know is that fireworks on The Fourth of July will never compare to the shows I saw during Las Fallas. 

What surprised me the most about the festival is the way the entire community is involved in every aspect. Walking down the street on any given day I’d see middle-aged dads spending their days painting these whimsical structures. I’d see young girls dressed in elaborate gowns parading through the streets while their moms stood by cheering them on. I’d see an eight year old boy at 3am in the middle of a mosh pit dance party on the streets and babies in strollers sleeping through fireworks shows at 1am. 

No matter what time of day or night it was, neither kids nor adults were missing out. I couldn’t help but imagine my little seven-year- old self being able to light off firecrackers in the streets with my friends and never being told it was time to come in. I don’t know how these kid don’t go deaf by age ten, but it made me think twice about how sheltered and protective our culture is today. It felt like I was back in time; before technology corrupted our imaginations and fear limited our outdoor play. I am envious of the freedom and innocence these children have.

L’Ofrena de Flors. For this part of the holiday each neighborhood, or casal faller, brings a donation of flowers to the main square at the end of the week. Here all the flowers are gathered to construct a giant Virgin Mary. In the streets you can see woman weeping at the feet of the Virgin, in awe of the beautiful creation and the sense of community the offering illustrates. The display smelled amazing and looked breathtaking. This display is the only part of Las Fallas that does not get burned, and the flowers remain in the square for days and weeks to come. 

La despertà. Wake-up call. This is my least favorite part of Las Fallas. Every morning at 8am bands parade through every street playing music and setting off firecrackers. This wouldn’t be bad on normal day, but when you don’t get home until 5am and are then woken back up at 8am to do it all over again, it gets exhausting. Even on the nights I didn’t make it out until 5am the other people in my residencia did, and no one has any sense of respect for rest during Las Fallas. 

Every day there was more to see. It was like a giant state fair took over the town. There were pop-up cervecerías and mojito stands on every street, bunyols y chocolate (a Spanish essential during Las Fallas), and the bars and restaurants were swarming with people all day long. Locals set up tents selling clothing, knick- knacks, and jewelry; and people come from all over to marvel at the huge fallas displays. 

La Nit del Foc. The night of fire. On the final day, we attended Cavalcada del Foc. This is the final parade, or celebration of fire, and it marks the start of the burnings. The burning was definitely my favorite part of the entire celebration. I still don’t understand how it’s legal and how the whole city doesn't burn down. Starting at midnight on the last day of the week, all the fallas are doused in oil and set on fire. These were the biggest bonfires I've ever seen. They have teams of firefighters on sight before they light the structures and the firemen immediately start spraying down all the nearby trees, building, and power lines to attempt to keep them from catching fire. The area is roped off, but more often than not the flames grow so large that it drives the crowd back even farther than anticipated. I simply watched in awe, my inner pyro loving every minute of it. 

La Cremà. This is the largest and final burning and is a very emotional experience for many people. To me it was a beautiful display, but to them it is so much more. That’s what I loved most about this holiday. These people work so hard all year to construct these wonderful sculptures, just to put them up in flames. While it makes no sense, it holds true for the way we live our lives. Las Fallas marks a new season of life, a fresh start. We put so much time and energy into things that more often than not don’t really matter. In the end, it’s about a community coming together for something greater; it's about realizing what truly matters, and leaving the rest to burn.  

¡Viva Las Fallas!