All you need to know about Las Fallas Festival in Valencia, Spain

Las Fallas festival is organized in one of the most beautiful cities in Spain, Valencia. It celebrates each year from the 15th to the 19th of March 2023.

In 2016, the Fallas festival became a part of UNESCO’s cultural heritage of humanity list. This celebration attracts many visitors from all over the world to discover different activities held at that festival, such as the carnival of bonfires, fireworks, and delicious food, and to see gigantic colorful characters or the Ninots.

 

History of Las Falls festival:

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Fallas is a holiday blessed by Spanish citizens and used as an opportunity to honor Saint Joseph. The story began in the middle ages when Saint Joseph worked as a woodworker. The workers used to burn the planks of wood named Parrots in the winter to support the candles when they were working.

Moreover, the workers burned pieces of wood to celebrate the arrival of spring on 19th March. Besides, this bonfire gradually began to add old belongings and rags, which gave the wooden structure a human-looking aspect until they became the Ninots that we see today. 

 

Las Fallas competition:

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Every year, each neighborhood tried to build a Falla or Ninot before the festival start. These Ninots must present on the 16th March in the street and for being burned on the 19th at night during La Cremà.
In addition, On the 19th, some of the Ninots are more than 15 meters wide, all of them will be burned except one. Besides, the neighborhood must make a Falla for children that start burning at 10 pm, while the adult Ninot at midnight is called La Cremà or the burning.

 

las Fallas costumes:

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During the Las Fallas festival, Valencians dress in their best clothes and engage in a parade. Besides, You will see plenty of Falleras, women of all ages, wearing colorful, full-skirted silk dresses and complicated plaited hairstyles held together with vantage gold pins. Many of these costumes are family inheritances and even double as wedding dresses. As well as men or Falleros, dressed exceptionally like pirates in brightly colored silk waistcoats and bandanas, usually carrying a flask of something potent.

 

The las Fallas festival program:

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Planta is when the gigantic colorful character exhibited in the streets from 14th March until the day of Saint Joseph. If you look around the city, you will see all the immense Ninots attract thousands of visitors and residents over the streets.

In addition, each colorful Ninots have different figures as star faces and glamorous creatures from movies, TV, and sports idols. While you are visiting Valencia for Las Fallas, you will be interested more about what’s going on between the 15th and 19th of March, so let’s begin with:

 

1- Mascletas from 1st to 19th:

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A Mascletà is a crazy amount of firecrackers being the spark, creating a smokey, noisy, and colorful spectacle. This event attracts visitors from all over the World to watch the Mascletà. The show begins at 2 PM at the town hall square, the Plaza del Ayuntamiento.  It’s a unique Valencian festival, and you have to experience it at least once in your life.

 

2- The Plantà, 15th March:

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The 15th of March is the last night to serve the sculptures in Valencia. Besides, this night the judges award the best ones and choose the Ninot to be saved from the burning.

 

3- Castillos:

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The Castillos are a magnificent fireworks display from the 15th to the 18th of March at night. In addition, the special night is on the 18th, called the night of fire (Nit de Foc), which marks the start of the last day of Las Falla.

 

4- Ofrenda de Flores (Flower Offering) 17th and 18th March:

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The event supposedly have over 100,000 Falleros, and Falleras from different Fallas create a procession, wearing traditional outfits accompanied by marching bands. They come from separate neighborhoods to the Plaza de la Virgin to offer flowers to Our Lady of the Forsaken, the Patron Saint of Valencia.
The flower contribution forms on the 17th and 18th of March, starting around 4 PM and lasting until long after nightfall. Flowers used to design a 15-meter-high tapestry on the façade of the Basilica and form an imposing statue of the Lady of the Forsaken, which is placed on the square specifically for this event.

 

5- Cabalgata del Fuego:

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The Cabalgata de Fuego “Fire Parade” takes place on March 19th at 7 pm in Calle Colon. This Fire Parade is mainly a carnival with lots of fire and fireworks. So, pay attention to yourself.

 

6- La Crema, 19th march:

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La Crema is the main event of the Las Fallas celebration. It’s when a year’s work goes up in smoke. Besides, the first burning starts at 10 PM is the children’s Fallas (Fallas infantile) and, at midnight burning of the principal Fallas. The first prize goes to the winner in smoke, then the last one to burn is the Falla at the Plaza del Ayuntamiento at 1 AM. This was followed by a small show of magnificent fireworks marking the end of the festival.

 

Las Fallas food:

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The most popular dish in the Las Fallas festival is the paella with chicken and rabbit. The second plate is Arroz’s famous dish with saffron rice, pieces of squid, prawns, and fish is very delicious. The last one is Buñuelos, served with chocolate.

 

Las Fallas Museum:

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Las Fallas Museum is based in an old leper hospital and was used as a prison. Las Fallas Museum is the most impressive museum in Valencia, where you can find the big Ninots or the puppets that have won the challenge and were saved from a fiery death by a popular vote. Also it has posters and photographs of the Fallas.

Las Fallas is undoubtedly one of the most unique and crazy festivals in Spain. The main reason to be at the Las Fallas Festival is to discover the exceptional burning of the Fallas sculptures and to enjoy the delicious street food.