Do You Know What Fallas, Valencia is?
If not then read on ....... its one of the world's best kept secrets.
Fallas is three weeks of constant fire, the burning of 350 effigies at the same time, firecrackers, organised mayhem and the most amazing three week spectacle in Spain.....plus lots of wine, food and fiestas.
Fallas is an event held in Valencia, Spain every March for three weeks. It starts with the Crida (the call for fire) on the 1st March and finishes with the Nit d Foc (the burning of 350 effigies) on the 19th March.
The originas of Fallas started when local carpenters burned the wood shavings accumulated over the winter.
This turned into a compeition with the final burnings happening on St Joseph's Day, the patron saint of carpenters, March 19th.
The Fallas are huge multi-level colourful designs of people, animals and birds amongst others made from fibreglass and wood.
Falla are built and designed throughout the year by different barrios (local areas). There is lots of eating and drinking and letting off fireworks over the three week period before finally burning the Falla on the last night (the Crema).
Fallas is also a competition between barrios which actually starts the previous July when women in traditional dress compete to be the Fallera Major or queen of fallas.
There is also competition to produce the best fallas designs both for adults and children (Ninots).
In the final few nights before the burnings, local barrios parade through the city with marching music bands as well as the entire barrio dressed traditionally.
They march towards the Basilica in the centre of Valencia for the Offerta where flowers are attached to a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary.
