Each year Valencia celebrates the passing of winter to spring with a week-long celebration known as Las Fallas. Expect the best oranges, fireworks, artwork, bonfires, petardos (street bombs) and street parties. This unique Spanish festival is renowned for its fallas; giant yet beautiful papier mâché figures, with many holding hilarious satirical messages, while others are simply wacky imaginations. Each neighborhood creates their own falla, and there are more than 350 throughout the Spanish city. They may take a year to build but you better admire them while you can, as they are destined to be ceremoniously burned!
There are two types of firework displays at the festival:
La Mascletá
Every day at 2pm firecrackers rip through the Plaza del Ayuntamiento in a noisy event called la Mascleta. This concert of gunpowder is very popular and involves different neighbourhood groups competing for the most impressive show, which ends with the terremoto, (literally meaning "earthquake") as hundreds of masclets (the very loud firecrackers) explode simultaneously. A real banger!
The Castillo
The Castillo is the visual fireworks display of the festival. Performed at night, this display is an unforgettable experience and unlike any other in the world. The Nit de Foc, literally translating in Valencian Castellano as night of fire, is the highlight of the Fallas fireworks. Lasting thirty minutes, it is the largest and best visual fireworks display of the festival and is likely to out-do any New Year’s display you may have seen! Not one firework will disappoint! Get there early and grab a good spot, as the whole city will be there!!
La Ofrenda de Flores a la Virgen de los Desamparados
Another important event, this beautiful ceremony, every March 17th and 18th, honours Valencia's patron Virgin. Thousands of Falleras and Falleros arrive to the city from every corner of the Comunitat (Valencia State) and take to the streets wearing traditional costumes and dancing to their village bands as they make their way to the Plaza de la Virgen to offer bouquets to the giant image of the Virgin.
La Cremá
La Cremá is the culmination of the week-long Fallas celebration in Valencia. Translating as “the burning,” this is the last day you can wander this amazing Spanish city and admire the craftsmanship of the hundreds of amazing fallas. At midnight, watch the spectacular sight of the burning of the fallas, with the most grand accompanied by a background of amazing fireworks, of course. A truly unforgettable experience!!
