VALENCIA IN FALLAS: A GLIMPSE INTO THE SOUL OF VALENCIA AND ITS PEOPLE

Las Fallas is a unique annual celebration where Valencians commemorate Saint José. The festival unites the city in an explosion of colour, art, culture, and music. It is a month-long celebration of creativity and expression that leaves a lasting impression on all who attend. Thousands of tourists from all over the world gather in Valencia to take part in the festivities. Valencia during Fallas is a particularly enriching experience for the international resident community, allowing for a deep cultural immersion into local customs and festivities. From colourful parades and lively street parties to traditional religious ceremonies, Las Fallas offers us a glimpse into the soul of Valencia and its people.

While the official weekend of Las Fallas in Valencia is the 15^{th of} March-19^th March, the festivities kick off in the last weekend of February. From the 26^{th of} February till the 19^th of March, the Mascletàs, a pyrotechnic spectacle of firecrackers, will go off in Plaza Ayuntamiento at 14:00h. Las Fallas is not for the faint of heart with the Mascletàs going off every day and fireworks and street parties every night for the duration of March. Forget about setting your alarms this month as at 8:00am every day, you will be woken up by La Despertà, the wake-up call of marching bands around the city!

One of the most beautiful traditions of the festival is the Ofrenda Fallas, the flower offering that begins on Friday, 17^th March. The parades consist of marching bands and all the Fallas Commissions, headed by the Fallas Queens and their Courts of Honour, who are dressed in their traditional costumes. The stunning dresses worn by the falleras are based on regional 18^th and 19^th centuries clothing. They are intricately made with bright colours and fabrics. For the falleras, this is one of the most emotional acts as they bring flowers to the Virgen de los Desamparados, the patron saint of the city. By Sunday 19^th of March, the façade of the wooden basilica, the Geperudeta, is adorned with a colourful array of flowers.

Although the sky of Valencia is flooded with light and colour for most of the month, the most spectacular firework display takes place at Paseo de la Alameda on La Nit del Foc on the 18^{th of} March where more than 4,000 kilos of fireworks are lit! The following day, the Cabalgata del Fuego parades the streets of Ruzafa and Colón to symbolise the beginning of La Cremá, the culmination of the festival. Fire is the essence of this extravaganza as sparks fly from fireworks strapped to the floats of the parade in this form of street entertainment that recalls the Correfoc fire runs of Cataluña and Valencia. The 19^th of March is the most memorable night of the festival as the city bursts into flames. The Fallas infantiles are the first to be burned to the ground at 20h. The rest of the city’s Fallas will be ignited at 22h followed by the highly anticipated central Falla in Plaza Ayuntamiento at 23h. The burning marks the end of the festivities and is followed by street parties that go on until the early hours!

Valencia during Fallas is a once in a lifetime experience, a spectacle like no other! As the city goes up in flames on the night of the 19^{th of} March, the people celebrate the events of the festival and begin the countdown to the Fallas of the following year! With a vibrant atmosphere and an infectious energy, Las Fallas is a timeless festival that showcases the city’s rich cultural history in a truly unrivalled way.

Report by Imogen Hockings