Jordan’s Fireworks we are a discovering bunch of people not so much in the Christopher Columbus sense but we do enjoy to learn and Las Fallas 2016 is a new one to us. Las Fallas is Valencia’s biggest celebration each year and commemorates Saint Joseph the patron saint of carpenters. During the celebration life size wooden carvings are made and burnt, as well as masses of fireworks being let off, Las Fallas is also known as the festival of fire.
Brief History Of Las Fallas
Fallas was originally set up to celebrate St Josephs day (19th march) in the 18th century when the people of Valencia made rag dolls called ninots depicting the people that they thought deserved public recognition. Throughout the day children would pick up objects that they would later put on the huge bonfires called fallas’, at night the ninots would get burnt on the fallas in midst of St Josephs day the day after.
Then as the tradition grew in the 19th century, the people of Valencia and the carpenters started to develop huge building sized sculptures to be burnt, in 1887 a local magazine started a competition for the best fallas until about 15 years later when the Valencia city council took over from the magazine and started to offer cash prizes for the best fallas’. Throughout the years leading up to the modern day the materials used in the fallas’ changed as colour became incorporated into the tradition making it a beautiful sight to see, and is now a 4 day long celebration from the 15th of march to the 19th
What, When And Where Is Las Fallas?
Las Fallas starts on the 15th of march and is celebrated pretty much everywhere in Valencia, Fallas generally consists of huge wax and paper mache masterpieces that depict celebrities, cartoon characters, politicians etc, created by renowned artists, painters and sculptors while the best fallas gets awards and prizes. On midnight on the 19th of March after the 4 days of non stop fireworks, festivals, bullfights, etc, the city of Valencia is lit up with fire as the masses of sculptures are burnt to ashes.
The sculptors favourite sculptures to make are usually ones of corrupt politicians or Spanish celebrities, with some ninots costing up to £50,000 and taking up to 2 years to make. The ninots are dotted around Valencia with most ninots having holes filled with fireworks in, when the ninots are ignited at midnight on the 19th the sky is also lit up with incredible fireworks. The public vote to keep the best ninot in the ninot museum in Valencia with the collection of the years before, this is the only ninot that is not burnt
The Fireworks
The Fireworks during Las Fallas are recognized as some of the best around the world. (https://youtu.be/7Aa_AK8xgwc < one of the many amazing firework shows during Fallas in 2011)
There are firework shows at
- 1:30 am on the 15th of march
- 1:30 am on the 16th of march
- 1:30 am on the 17th of march
- 2:00 am on the 18th of march
- The finale throughout Valencia on the 19th of march at 1.30 am
