Fallas

SFPL Valencian celebration of the feast of St Joseph

FALLAS In the week of 19 March (the feast of San José), Valencia honours its patron saint with a spectacular fiesta called las Fallas. Fallas is the name given to the huge papier-mâché, cardboard and wooden sculptures depicting politicians and other well-known public figures which, amidst a deafening display of fireworks, are put on bonfires and set alight by members of competing groups, or falleros, who will have spent the previous year creating and building them. Only the sculpture which is voted best escapes the flames.

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CULTURAL NOTE

Fallas

The most important festival in the autonomous region of Valencia. The Fallas take place every year between March 12 and 19.

The highlight is the burning of the fallas on the night of March 19. Fallas are groups of huge painted cardboard and wood figures which depict current events and famous people.

Each neighborhood makes its own falla . They are erected on one night, known as the plantá, and displayed the next day. A panel of judges "pardons" the best one and it is placed in the falla museum.