Fallas - A traditional celebration of Valencia (Spain)
Hi everyone!
Las Fallas is a traditional celebration in my city: Valencia (Spain). Really start on March 15, but from the moment the Cridà takes place on the last Sunday of February, it's when you can say that Valencia is in Fallas.
This tradition is celebrated not only in the city, also around all the towns of the Valencian Community.
In 2017, the Fallas were recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
Let's say that Fallas is closely related to fire...
If we rely on the word "Fallas" (Latin) comes to mean torches, which were placed on top of the watchtowers.
Then, as such, the act of the Cridà (when the major falleras inaugurate the Fallas of the year) takes place in one of the watchtowers that Valencia had: The Torres de Serranos.
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More about the Serranos Towers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torres_de_Serranos
I would put videos of the act of the Cridà, since the most important moment is when the falleras make their speeches. But it's all in Valencian, the language of Valencia. So I don't think you understand, but on YouTube there are many videos of the Cridà.
In each neighborhood of the Valencian Community there are one or two (or sometimes more) fallas commissions. Each faller commission, every year appoint a major fallera and a president. As in the children's sector. That's, each failure has its major fallera and its major infantile fallera. And also its president and children's president.
But to represent the city of Valencia, it's named a major fallera and child fallera in particular.
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After the act of Cridà, Valencia (and the whole Community) is in Fallas!. That means chaos in the city, especially in the center. More than anything because they cut many streets and you can not get through with the car. And because you can throw firecrackers!
Also, from the Cridà several activities take place in the city. Especially on weekends.
But let's say that from March 15 until the early morning of March 20 is where there's more activity.
The last February 24 they made what is called a pyrotechnic mascletà (fireworks):
And last Saturday, March 3, there was a pyrotechnic show in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento of the city. I leave a video for you to see how it was:
Anyway, I'll tell you more things about this tradition.... As for example what is a mascletà, the Cremà, the Plantà ...
There's a lot of history about the Fallas and many events impossible to tell in a single post. But I hope that to begin you have made an idea that what they are the Fallas.
More information about las Fallas:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falles