Fire, smoke, noise, and endless festivities mark Las Fallas, a fire festival celebrated in Valencia, Spain’s third largest city. The festival happens to be a significant time for Valencians to welcome Spring and “burn away” the past.

The origin of this festival is said to have begun in the Middle Ages when people discarded and burnt their old artefacts and wood used during the winter to usher in the spring equinox. In the early days, carpenters used wood planks called ‘parots’ to hang their candles during dark winter months. With the advent of brighter days, these parots were destroyed. Subsequently with the church’s intervention, the date of the bonfire was made to coincide with the festival of Saint Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters. In a nutshell, Las Fallas is all about tradition, religion, a dose of satire, and great community fun.

Intimidating Street Art

During this period, the city is dotted with hundreds of giant fallas monuments. These impressive works of art are constructed from paper, wood, cardboard, and polyurethane. Each neighbourhood is required to produce a temporary sculpture covered with painted papier-mâché. To prepare for their street’s fallas, the district’s designated committee, or casal fallero works year-long to raise money, which includes organising fundraising dinners featuring paella, a Valencian signature. These monuments, often satirical in nature, are eventually set on fire on the final night’s cremà or burning ceremony.

Within the special section category are towering structures, some as high as two to three storeys, designed by crews of specialist artists, architects, sculptors, and painters. For many months, they construct and mould these elaborate, sometimes outrageous, monuments. The largest ones can cost hundreds of thousands of euros, and usually financed by corporate sponsorship. There are also smaller versions for children, positioned a few metres from the big ones.

These ‘ninots’ or individual figurines that make up the large fallas monuments are judged every year. In early February, each committee presents its best ninot, which is displayed in a collective exhibition. Voters have the chance to select their favourite based on originality or design. When the winner is finally announced, the winning structure (the pardoned ninot) is saved from being burnt and exhibited in the Fallas Museum.

Meanwhile, the official mascletà, or sound fireworks show takes place at the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, or City Hall Square daily. With the well-choreographed sequence of thunderous explosions and gunpowder smoke filling the air, this event is probably not for the faint-hearted. Firecrackers can also be heard sporadically throughout the day and night.

The celebrations culminate with the Cabalgata del Fuego (Fire Parade), filled with floats, rockets, and street performances taking place along Colon Street and Porta de la Mar square. The cityscape continues to be filled with orchestrated pyrotechnics before the cremà kicks off. At 10:00 pm, the children’s fallas are burnt. Come midnight, all the remaining adult fallas in the city are set on fire, and the crowds wait in anticipation for the festival’s official falla to go up in flames at 1:00 am at the City Hall Square.

When the monuments are finally torched, Valencians see this as a moment of letting go the past. This year, over 700 monuments including the official one in the shape of a lion were burnt. Despite the gusty, blustery night that sent fire sparks raining from the sky, the crowds revelled when the sculptures were set alight. Firefighters from all over the country were on standby to ensure accidents didn’t get out of hand.

Flowers in the Square

Another major activity during the festival is the Ofrenda, or flower offering to the Virgen de los Desamparados—Our Lady of the Forsaken, the patron saint of Valencia—at the Virgin Square in front of the basilica. On 16 and 17 March from 3:30 pm to 1:00 am, the colourful pageantry is led by the different neighbourhoods’ “falleros” and “falleras” (men and women) along with their music band.

The scene can be emotional for many of the participants as 100,000 people including children, all dressed in elaborate traditional costumes, march along the city streets. To honour the Virgin Mary, they present red and white carnation bouquets at the foot of the 15-metre high statue, and the flowers are used to adorn her cloak.

Light-Up and Cook-Out

A few days before the finale, special lightings are illuminated at night, particularly in the hip Ruzafa area. There, a spectacular light show happens at a specific time of the night. If hunger pangs strike, there’s plenty of street food like churros and croquettas to savour along the way. The different fallas committees proudly festoon their districts with impressive lighting and take part in a competition for the best decorated street.

At night, paella cook-outs are organised in different neighbourhoods to boot.

Saffron-tinged rice brimming with chicken, rabbit, and moon beans, are fired up in designated outdoor areas. Friends huddle around the woodfire as dense billows of smoke engulf the large pans of simmering rice. Friendly locals happily share their food, wine, stories and even recipes. This is one of the best ways to experience the heart and soul of the local community.