With our great friends, MacAulaysUndoubtedly, this is one of the most spectacular fiestas that I have witnessed. During the fiesta days - and partly throughout the year - the streets become alive with fireworks displays, music bands, artistic lighting, street performances, parades and more...
We were lucky for being in the Valencia region during this one of a kind annual festival and got the chance to share the experience with our friends, the MacAulays.
The Fallas, a tribute to St. Joseph, the patron St. of the carpenters' guild, is celebrated March 13-19th. The 2008 Fallas was exceptional in the sense that it coincided with Santa Semana (Easter), which made it difficult for the first timers, like us, to appreciate what customs belonged truly to Fallas and which ones to the Easter. Nevertheless throughout the week, Valencia and the Valencians were donned in festival attire and everybody seemed to be celebrating.
The most important component of this festival is the effigies, which are basically combinations of miniature and giant papier-mâché, wood and wax thematic sculptures. This part of the celebration apparently goes back to the mid-18th century when the morning of the March 18th during the celebrations of St Joseph’s Day, people strung rag dolls called peleles across the city streets from window to window and put up niñots referring to an event or certain individuals, who were particularly deserving public derision. Throughout the day the children and young people collected the objects and burnt them on bonfires called fallas. This beginning gradually led to today’s highly organized and grandiose celebrations. For those of you interested, detailed information about the history of Fallas can be accessed from the American Club of Valencia.
The preparation for the Fallas is a yearlong process. This is a fiesta with a complex, well-tuned business and administrative structure: the Junta Central Fallera (or Fallas Central Board) is its governing body and organizes all official events. Every monument is set up by a district association called a "comisión fallera" (Fallas Committee), managed by its members, the "Falleros." I hear this is a job taken very seriously and artists are well respected. Each Fallas Committee decides on a theme (usually a satirized version of current events)
Encouraging people to vote
and builds its work of art created by hundreds of specialists: carpenters, painters, sculptors, designers, etc (2008 Gandia Fallas employed 26 artists). During each Fallas Year (which officially begins on March 20th and ends the following March 19th), they meet periodically to decide on the fiesta's main lines of action. All kinds of activities take place throughout the whole year: from sporting (such as soccer championships) to cultural events (theatre, poetry or dancing contests) plus displays of Valencia's own folklore, traditions and customs. Many of these activities are organized by the Fallas Committees themselves, complementing the work of the Junta Central Fallera. (http://www.fallasfromvalencia.com/index.htm).
The figures of the Fallas (ninots) look like cartoon characters. They show off their lively colors and enormous size, and make clear which personalities have been the focus of public opinion and attention. There are few Spanish politicians who escape from the satire of the "fallero" masters. One definitely needs to see these works in person to appreciate the delicacy and artistic value.
Beginning March 14th, these ninots were placed around the city for the public display. Each delegation set a tent near their ninots and served food and drinks – large quantities of paella and alcohol! I am told that in Valencia they prepare paella in the largest possible pan and serve it to the public.
During the week of Fallas, the monuments are judged and the best ones win prizes. There are several categories to be placed and then the winner the Fallas. This year's winner was the monument titled "L'evolució de grans descobriments" (Evolution of Great Discoveries), of Communities Sant Josep Raval and Plaça Prado by the artists Palacio and Serra.
The winner of the miniature ninots (Committee Carrer Major i Passeig)
This is a pretty pricey affair (I hope it contributes to the local economies as lucratively) - just to be burnt on the night of the March 19th! The budget of 2008 Fallas Communities in Gandia area was €1,663,500. The most expensive monument in Gandia Fallas had cost around €60,000 (the cheapest one was €2,500) and the Valencia official monument would not even be included in competition due to unfair resource advantage of the government. The burning of the product of such laborious effort and money supposedly signifies the sentiment of not to be attached to the worldly possessions and fret about their loss. This reminded me of the destruction of the Buddhist Sand-Mandala.
The partial 2008 program of the Fallas in Gandia was:
1. Presentation of the Fallera Mayor Infantil and Fallera Mayor: Since I have another entry for the Queens of the Fallas, I will not get into explaining it here – November 16-17, 2007 at the Municipal Sports Pavillion
2. Presentation of the official Fallas book “FOC I FLAMA.” – January 23, 2008 at the Marques de Gonzalez de Quiros House
3. Announcement and Proclamation: The processions of the different Fallas delegations arrive to attend the Festivity Proclamation. From the Town Hall Balcony, the two Falleras Mayores and the city major invite the citizens to participate in the festivities – February 2, 2008 at the Main Square
4. Great Cavalcade and Children’s Cavalcade of the Ninot: These are series of parades by different Fallas delegations. Some of our friends from the swim team took part in the children’s cavalcade. They end with the participation of Falleras Mayor and Infantil, their Court of Honor and the local Fallas council – February 17 and 24, 2008.
5. Ninot Exhibition and Prizes: Fallas Associations exhibit their best Ninots in Adults and Children categories. After the prize-giving, the exhibition will remain open until March 14. – February 29, 2008 the Marques de Gonzalez de Quiros House
6. Finals “Bac and Truc” Championships: Championship matches for the 3rd and 4th classifications takes place followed by the final and presentation of prizes – March 3, 2008 Junta Local Fallera home
7. Planta: Hundreds of different Fallas monuments are constructed throughout the day – March 15, 2008
8. Baptism – Prizes 2008: Courtesy visit of the Fallas by the Falleres Mayores, Court of Honors, Junta Local Fallera, and the baptism ceremonies of the children born before the March 12th at the San Jose Church – March 16, 2008
9. Offering of Flowers to Our Lady of the Forsaken: Citizens pay respect at the feet of her patron saint offering thousands of bouquets of flowers, baskets of posies and floral shrine arrangements in 24 hours. At the end, the previously barren mannequin is donned with the beautiful flowers – March 18, 2008 at the Main Square
Glass version of Virgin on display at the Palau Ducal dels Borja
10. Crema: Burning concludes the Fallas.
Maria is lighting the ninots
Almost done!
The Crema stage was quite ceremonial. The burning of the ninots began around 11 o’clock with the ones that did not earn any prize. Each monument was loaded with the large volumes of fireworks. A reina de la Fallas initiated the fireworks, which started a cascade of explosions. The people were restricted to a safe distance from the monuments, but once the fire began the heat was quite overwhelming. The fire hazard possibilities, such as fire sparkles catching nearby houses, trees or people seemed immeasurable.
Luckily, the city had provided a good supply of fire fighters and emergency medical team for just in case. The fire fighters also put out the fire once the big chunk of the monument was gone. The last effigies to be lit were those that were awarded prizes by the General Fallas Committee and those in the City Hall Square.
Enduring noise and heat is not everyone’s cup of tea. In her blog España Profunda, Katie lists 10 reasons why one should not participate in this annual event. If you have doubts, I recommend you check out her post.
Evidently each year, only one "ninot" is saved from the flames by popular vote, and exhibited in the Museum of the Ninot together with those from the various years.
Following the burning, people buy more fireworks and continue their own personal pyromania. The Spanish must have great fascination with fire and fireworks for almost every one of their celebrations somehow incorporates fire into it.
After watching our friend Maria, Reina de la Foc of the monument start the fire on her delegation’s monument, we went to a tapas bar and had delicious variety of tapas for pretty cheap price. The bars and restaurants fill with crowds catching a bite and drink following the adrenaline surge. The kids found a vendor to purchase a supply of their own firecrackers and let them go off right in the middle of the wandering crowd – something which they would not even dream of doing back home.
More info on Las Fallas can be found on this Valencia government official site: http: //www.fallas.com/
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