Icannot believe that it is a month since I was last here. I have been stitching, albeit very slowly, on Ellen Chester´s Maidens of the Sea, playing a lot of games of Rummicub with my neighbours visiting from England, and generally just enjoying being in Spain at this perfect time of year. Clear blue skies and sun. Today though it is grey and raining - but it´s good for the gardens and updating my blog! Even though no stitching pictures.
Thank goodness it wasn´t raining yesterday as it was Fallas. My photos are taken in the nearby towns of Gandia, which has the biggest Fallas after Valencia. The first is taken from my Spanish class window looking down on all the boys and girls in their traditional costumes . The next is of a Fallas in the town hall square in Gandia and the one bottom left is the largest one in Gandia. The last one is right next to my Spanish school and is a small children´s one. I have not yet tried to get to Valencia to see it there as the queues for trains are horrendous, even though they put on many extra ones. The trick is to book a hotel in the middle of the city - maybe one year.
"Overview of Fallas de Valencia
Several hundred enormous sculptural compositions, surrounded by fireworks, carnivals, traditional dress, music and nightlife for 4 days, before they all go up in flames. Las Fallas is known as one of the craziest things in Europe and is the biggest annual Valencian celebration. It is a world famous street party, a spectacular celebration of Valencian tradition for the locals and an enormous cosmopolitan festival for the visitors.
During the year, over 350 Valencian communities (also called "fallas") construct huge colourful fallas sculptures (2 each = around 800 in total) made of wood and papier-mache. The fallas are usually satirical in content and often elaborate works of art, some as high as 25 metres.
On the 15th of March the fallas get planted throughout the city and Valencia explodes with the party. Millions of petards are set to explode, there are state-of-the-art fireworks twice a day and a buzzing nightlife complete with mobile discos and concerts. For the next four days the entire city takes to the streets to walk around and enjoy the fallas-sculptures.
The fallas-communities themselves break out nomadic camps on the streets and cook paella on the pavement. On every street you walk, there is a parade of the locals in traditional costumes and with music bands.
Every evening there is a colourful carnival in the central square of the city, with a different theme every night. On 16th it is the folkloric carnival. On 17th and 18th it is the Offer of the Flowers – a wooden silhouette of the Virgin in the plaza de la Virgin is filled in with carnations, brought by traditional parades in full colours and music. On 19th it is the Carnival of Fire.
The whole city walks the streets by day and by night Valencia turns into a mega street party with concerts and discos on every square, accompanied by an all-out war of petards and fireworks.
Finally, on the night of 19th of March, all the Fallas-Sculptures get simultaneously burned to the cheers of the crowd. Thus is commemorated the coming of spring."
Several hundred enormous sculptural compositions, surrounded by fireworks, carnivals, traditional dress, music and nightlife for 4 days, before they all go up in flames. Las Fallas is known as one of the craziest things in Europe and is the biggest annual Valencian celebration. It is a world famous street party, a spectacular celebration of Valencian tradition for the locals and an enormous cosmopolitan festival for the visitors.
During the year, over 350 Valencian communities (also called "fallas") construct huge colourful fallas sculptures (2 each = around 800 in total) made of wood and papier-mache. The fallas are usually satirical in content and often elaborate works of art, some as high as 25 metres.
On the 15th of March the fallas get planted throughout the city and Valencia explodes with the party. Millions of petards are set to explode, there are state-of-the-art fireworks twice a day and a buzzing nightlife complete with mobile discos and concerts. For the next four days the entire city takes to the streets to walk around and enjoy the fallas-sculptures.
The fallas-communities themselves break out nomadic camps on the streets and cook paella on the pavement. On every street you walk, there is a parade of the locals in traditional costumes and with music bands.
Every evening there is a colourful carnival in the central square of the city, with a different theme every night. On 16th it is the folkloric carnival. On 17th and 18th it is the Offer of the Flowers – a wooden silhouette of the Virgin in the plaza de la Virgin is filled in with carnations, brought by traditional parades in full colours and music. On 19th it is the Carnival of Fire.
The whole city walks the streets by day and by night Valencia turns into a mega street party with concerts and discos on every square, accompanied by an all-out war of petards and fireworks.
Finally, on the night of 19th of March, all the Fallas-Sculptures get simultaneously burned to the cheers of the crowd. Thus is commemorated the coming of spring."
Please see this site for more information and pictures.
4 comments:
Thank you for sharing these amazing photos! This festival looks and sounds like such an enjoyable time. The costumes are just gorgeous!
I love the costumes they are wearing. What a neat town you live in!
Looks like a great festival :)
Hi Sheila thanks for visiting my blog, nice to 'meet' you :)
LOve all of your gorgeous pictures what a sight it must have been :)
Happy Easter to you
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