The month of March is behind the door and with it the most significant event of the year – Las Fallas de Valencia. In today’s article you will find out what the word fallas means and why people of Valencia celebrate them.
The Fallas is a traditional celebration held in the city of Valencia that got on the UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity in 2016. The term fallas refers to both the event and the statues exhibited in the streets. The word falla comes from latin fax which means torch. That’s because on the last day of the celebrations the fallas illuminate a place like a torch while being burnt down.
The Fallas started in the Middle Ages as a celebration of the spring equinox. Carpenters used planks of woods to hang their lanterns during the winter to illuminate their work. With the coming of the spring they didn’t need them anymore, so they were burning them.
Each neighbourhood in the city has its own Fallas committee. The members of each committee gather throughout the year to organize different types of events to raise money and to work on the statues that usually represent current political or social situation in the Valencian community or in Spain depicted in a satirical and ironic way. The parts of the statues are called ninots (Valencian for puppets) and they are made from wood, polystyrene, paper and wax with many craftsmen taking part in their construction. Did you know that there’s an actual job of fallas’ artist in Valencia and you can even study special degree to become one?
On 15th of March all the fallas are exhibited in the streets for people to admire them and vote for their favourite. On 19th of March (Saint Joseph’s day) they are all burnt to the ground as a sign of something old coming to an end and something new beginning. The falleros and falleras wear traditional costumes during the five days of celebrations.
Next week we will bring you an article about events happening during the Fallas. In the meantime you can visit the ongoing exhibition in the City of Arts and Sciences and vote for your favourite ninot. If you are not in Valencia yet, come to learn Spanish in our school and experience The Fallas. For more information about our courses click here.
