Welcome to my entry for the celebration on Saint Joseph's day, also known has Father's day (celebrated in western Christianity countries)
Since I personally cannot celebrate the Father's day (I don't have any children), this year I tried to make this day a little bit brighter by creating this post about one of the most impressive celebrations that I've seen!
The origin of the pagan festival is similar to that of the Bonfires os Saint John celebrated in Alacant region, in the sense that both came from the Latim costume and tradition to lighting fires to welcome Spring.
The city of Valencia bring up all the good things and explode in joy and celebration. The streets are filled with tourists, locals, and all the commercial sales stalls filled with the very best sugary delicacies!
The traditional celebration that his annually held in Valencia, Spain, in celebration of Saint Joseph it's called "Fallas" because of the Latin word "fax" that stands for "torch" (and you will understand ahead why the festivities got this peculiar name)
The fest takes place five days of main celebration are from 15 to 19 March, but the Mascletà (the biggest pyrotechnic of fireworks display and crackers detonation spectacle that I've seen) goes from 1 to 19 March. By the way it is almost mandatory that you wear ear protection on this event, and additionally it's advertised to maintain your mouth slightly open (to prevent ear damage!!!) Can you believe the HUGE RUMBLE that takes place!!!
This constructions are made by by an organised group of people, the Casal faller, that usually work all year long for this moment, by holding in to fundraising dinners and events, when the traditional regional dish is the main star... The Paella ! I'm pretty sure that no one that have been in Spain didn't taste this "food of the gods".
The statues or constructions are burned down on the same day - The night of the Fallas - around midnight on 19 of March. The fallas are burnt as huge and impressive bonfires, that are local designated has La Cremà - That is the climax of the whole festivity! The falla that is placed in the l'Ajuntament Plaza it's the last one to be set on fire.
Much time is consumed by the casal faller preparing the ninots (Valencia word for dolls or puppets), that are taken out in the four days leading up to 19 of March, and mounted and filled up with firecracker cardboard and paper-mâché to provide a artistic monument that is placed in the central part of their neighborhood.
Each neighborhood has it's own falla. The ninos and fallas are constructed accordingly to an previously agreed theme (traditionally politic related) but always with a satiric jab on them! The crews of artists, artisans, sculptors, painters, and several craftsmen spent months on producing elaborated constructions on paper and wax and polystyrene foam that could reach up to five stories, arranged in posing and gravity-defying manner!
And off couse that the sexual themed subjects could't be outside of this peoples festivities...
A lot of detail it is taken in construction and painting all these gorgeous structures that are meant to be burned down!
During the cold nights it's possible to walk by all the streets and coming to impressive light shows has the one that you can see here:
The lights aren't always on, but there are particular hours when a chronograph and choreographed multimedia show with music and light partners are repeated 3 or 4 times by night
During the Fallas many people wear their casal faller dress of regional and historical costumes from different eras of Valencia's history. Many participants dress in medieval clothing has you can see in the next photo from one of those parades.
I hope that you appreciate this humble post on such a particular day to myself, has I explained in the beginning. It was a great pleasure to me to revive this memories that are from 2016... And hopping that maybe in March 19 in 2023 I could be in Valencia to assist this huge show again!
By the way, on this very same year of 2016, the Fallas de València were considered in UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage of humanity list on 30 of November.
Leave a comment if you like. I'll appreciate any comments that you are fell to drop in the comment section :)
