𝅘𝅥𝅯𝅘𝅥𝅱 Valencia, And I swear to the stars I'll burn this whole city down, oh, oh 𝅘𝅥𝅯𝅘𝅥𝅱
- The Decemberist, The Crane Wife Album
How do you feel about 🔥fireworks🔥 and loud reverberating EXPLOSIONS🧨🧨? Do they scare you or excite you? Now, how do you feel about listening 24/7 to the sound of it? How do you feel when a firecracker is tossed on the street as you walk past? Does it make you smile or does it freak you out? How do you feel about street parties until 3 am, and then the sound of marching bands at 8 am? Do you groan or do you smile? These are the things you need to think about if you’re considering going to the Las Fallas festival— the loudest, smokiest, and most high-spirited and fiery fiesta in all of Europe, happening in the streets of Valencia! It’s like fiesta on crack, truly.
We thought Barcelona was so amazing, we couldn't fathom how Valencia would and could compare. BUT, Valencia was why we made this international trip in the first place. I don't remember how I stumbled upon the Las Fallas festival when I was researching a trip to Spain in the autumn of 2021, but what I remember is the feeling: This. This is where we're going. This is how we celebrate LIFE after all that passed, the year that was 2020, which languidly stretched itself through most of 2021, and threatened a long-held ellipses.... But we don't need to be melancholic, not with Las Fallas in our sight in the distance.
So, on the evening of March 17, we took the train from Barcelona to Valencia. Since I booked the high speed train far in advance, we spent maybe 80 euros in total for the four of us. It was an uneventful train ride. The most memorable thing that happened was our cab driver on the way to the station warning us to be careful of pickpockets at Barcelona-Sants. Again, I highly recommend money belts to keep your passport and money in. Thankfully, we had no issues.
We arrived in Valencia at 11 pm and grabbed another cab to our AirBnB in Valencia by the Turia garden. On our ride, I could already tell that the stay would be special. We could see lit up arches in Fallas neighborhoods, and hear popping firecrackers, and see women in traditional dresses, and marching band. All this, at close to midnight. The city was wide awake, the drizzle not withstanding. We chose the apartment in the same fashion as we did for Barcelona, and it can't be more ideal. Our place in Carrer del Poeta Monmeneu was close to the hustle and bustle but not smack in the middle of it. After all, this is the loudest🧨 festival in Europe.
The original meaning of “Falla” is torch. Indeed, what best way to celebrate the Spring equinox by setting things ablaze! From what I read, the Las Fallas festival originated from a carpenter’s spring tradition, which involved burning pieces of wood, including the winter torches, and rags and old belongings, kind of like Spring cleaning I imagine, but with bonfire. Together, the rags and wood started looking like sculptures or puppets or dolls, which are locally called “ninots”, of thefestival today. Since its origin in the 18th century to the present, the ninots and fallas have evolved. Now these cartoon-like ninots are hand-made by artists and cost a ton, and also have some story or theme, satirical and political, represented. The ones we saw ranged in theme from calls to save the planet, to addressing the pandemic with Athena wearing a mask and pointing an arrow on a coronavirus sculpture, and there's also one about Brexit featuring Boris Johnson. A word of caution that some are quite humorous tipping to bawdy, and intentionally so, as the artists also tackle current events.
These ninots require months and even up to a year in the making, and are made from paper mache, foam, wood, and cardboard. Each Fallas neighborhood have a team that build their statues which I read totals to somewhere between 300-700 in the city, and can be several stories high. Each neighborhood builds a small statue or monument for children (infantile) and a big one for the grown-ups (mayores) As you can tell, we were not able to see all the structures. Though I wish we saw them all, it was just not possible! But we did see many of the big ones that won special prizes. There is a
map of the major Fallas, which has the biggest and most intricate designs. The ones that drew the most crowds can be found in the Ruzafa neighborhood, which is also the bar scene and party area, in case you're looking for a more adult-only celebration. But don't let the crowd at Ruzafa stop you from visitng the amazing sculptures in the area. There are a ton of them!, all glorious!
TIP: If you're planning to visit for the festival, stow your Tory Burch heels away, and pack your most comfortable shoes! We were racking between 25K-30K steps in a day, my legs and knees were sore, which was expected and why I packed a bottle of ibuprofen! The ninots are brightly colored, and very expressive. I truly wonder how the artists come up with such grand visions. What's at stake? Well, at the end of the festival, each one of these go up in flames, save for the pardoned ninot, voted by the public.
Beguiling and extremely flammable
Las Fallas festival, attended by over a million revelers, lasts 5 days from March 15-19 every year, although you can hear the firecrackers, called “máscleta”, as early as March 1. When I say hear, I mean HEAR. During the last 2 days of the festival, there is a firecracker show at 2 pm at the town center in Plaza del Ajuntamiento, where you will hear the loudest BOOMs you’ve ever heard. It's the kind that rattles your bones, and shakes the foundations of houses. Thank goodness the old historic buildings in Valencia are strong and have withstood the times.
And then on the evening of March 18, the Nit del Foc, the Fire night, with fireworks lighting the skies at 1:30 in the morning. Needless to say, the street parties continued until around 3 am. This, in spite of the rain. No rain can hamper the fires and spirit of Las Fallas! Fourth of July celebration in the US is a whisper compared to the continuous and thunderous Las Fallas mascleta, day and night. As I’ve researched what to expect during the festivities, I made sure we packed earplugs, which my family were grateful for. Still, the kids were pretty startled by the firecrackers that just get to tossed on the street and landed right in front of them. I, on the other hand, was used to this growing up in a Spanish-influenced country. I don’t startle as easily, even as one bounced off my shoe, which I don't tell the kids, of course. After a while, the kids wanted to join in the fire-cracking fun. We went to the firecracker or “petardo” store, and bought some “mini-bombetas”, which doesn’t need to be lit up, but you can toss it on the ground and it makes a snapping sound. They’re adorable and safe for children. And that's how we also joined in the noise making. And in the morning of March 19, the marching band woke us up bright and early as the parades began again at 8 am.
Enjoying horchata with ice cream at Mercat de Colon
During the Las Fallas festival, the streets of the old city of Valencia are closed off from cars so people can meander the streets freely. We walked among locals and tourists alike, enjoying with incredulity the artistry of the ninots. From time to time, we took breaks to enjoy hot chocolate or horchata, which is a drink made from tiger nuts, together with traditional pastries like churros of different kinds - chocolate, Nutella-filled - and my new found favorite, fresh buñuelos de calabasa, or locally known in Valencia as bunyols de carabassa, whicharepumpkin donuts. These are so good when they’re warm! But you won’t taste the pumpkin, so it’s definitely kid-friendly too.
There are many benches and plazas to enjoy the treats, or you can enjoy them at the markets as well. We looked and smelled the spices, and ooohed and aaahed at the colorful olives, jamon, empanadas, and orange cake (Valencia orange!) that flooded our senses.
Many places sold paella, but I was wary of trying it at the touristy center of the town after the patatas bravas revelation in Barcelona. So, the paella tasting just had to wait. One tip that I was given by our AirBnB host, don't order paella in the evening. It is best serve during lunch, when it is fresh.
Aside from the colorful food and spices, we also saw beautiful Valencian women and girls dressed in traditional clothing, with their hairs in intricately braided buns, in a ceremony called Ofrenda. The women carry bouquets and offer them to the Virgen de los Desamparados (Lady of the forsaken) at the Plaza de la Virgen, led by marching bands in a parade. The flowers are placed on the high wooden structure of a giant effigy of the Lady.
At dusk, the Cavalcada del foc (the fire parade) made its way along Carrer Colon ending in a show at Plaza de la Porta de la Mar. The music -trumpets and drums- mixing with the pops of the firecracker and the endless cheering from the crowd make for the most festive atmosphere. Then the show ends, and the crowd dissipates to the fallas neighborhood of their choice.
Before...
All the ninots remain in place in their respective Fallas until all are set aflame on March 19, the day known as La Cremà (the burning), which is the climactic end to Las Fallas. Except for that one winning ninot.
We stationed ourselves at the Fallas near the Torres de Serrano, the gothic towers built in 14th century, which had a beautiful, but relatively medium-sized ninot, about 30-40 feet by my estimate. I figured it’s the best one to watch burn with the backdrop of the gates of Valencia, and we can easily walk home from there instead of the crowded bigger ninots in the city center. We watched with mixed emotions, anticipation, joy, and sorrow as the firefighters skillfully set up the hose, and the team started to drape the firecrackers on the ninot and drench it in gasoline. As if the burning of the ninots is not enough, or perhaps to serve as a prelude prior to reaching its crescendo, the night sky bursts once again in a stream of fireworks display at each fallas neighborhood.
And then, finally, the muse of the fallas, fallera mayor, lights the string of firecrackers that finds its way to the heart of the ninot, setting it ablaze. Watching all the characters that you know the artists and teams have put so much effort into making go up in flame is surreal. What was built in months and even up to a year goes tumbling down to embers and ashes in a span of 30 minutes. La crema is a symbolic cleansing, leaving behind the past and starting a new life from the ashes - the epitome of Spring. It is as meaningful as it is beguiling.
The fire brigade were TOP NOTCH and ensures everyone's safety
After
Indeed, the festival is a feast for the senses - visually for all the awe-inspiring ninots and watching the fire raze them; auditory with all the music from the bands and the booms from the mascletas; orally for the buñuelos, churros, and paella; olfactory for the scent of the roses, smoke and gunpowder, haha! This is truly how you celebrate LIFE. For this experience, I am grateful.
The morning after the end of La Crema, the city of Valencia goes back to the laidback city that it is. The streets are cleaned, the roads opened, as if the Las Fallas was already a distant memory… but I can’t help but imagine that, somewhere in the city, an artist is already plotting, thinking of their design for the next Las Fallas festival, hoping to be the ninot to be pardoned and immortalized at the Museo Fallas. Or, maybe not. For, really, it seems an even greater honor to touch the people's soul with La Crema of the grand ninot.
On our last day in Valencia, we were still soaring high from what we witnessed, and decided to come down from the clouds with a low key day of souvenir shopping, a visit to the Museo Bellas Artes, and savoring authentic Paella Valenciana at Restaurante El Forcat, which came highly recommended by our wonderful AirBnB host, who also made the reservation for us. The traditional paella Valenciana, interestingly, does not have seafood but has pollo (chicken) and vegetables instead. We enjoyed it so much as well as their delicious wine.
Finally, we ended our trip as we started it - with a visit to an aquarium, L’Oceanografic, the largest aquarium in Europe. We enjoyed a game of Kahoot and a dolphin show, in Spanish no less! Then, satiated in mind, body, and spirit, it was time to go home.
Tips:
Expect to get little sleep during Las Fallas, between the marching bands and loud mascleta. An don’t forget to pack your earplugs!
Wear your sturdiest shoes! It’s the only way to see as many fallas as possible. And after you’ve done that, choose your favorite one to come back to for La Crema, which happens simultaneously for all the ninots in all neighborhoods, except for the one in the town center, which is burned 30 minutes later.
Arrive early on any major events to get the good spot. For instance for the Nit de Foc near the bridge, or the 2 pm mascleta at the plaza de ayuntamiento or if you expect a big crowd for La Crema of your favorite ninot.
Make advanced reservation if you intend to eat at a restaurant during Las Fallas.
Don't put too many things on your agenda. Take it from me, you won't get to do much more than enjoy the festival. Immerse yourself in the experience. It's one to write home about!
