Fallas in Valencia

Fallas is a festival here in Valencia that is more celebrated than Christmas!  It was incredible to us.  There are more lights put up, more people gathering in the streets, fireworks several times a day... definitely the most celebrated holiday in Valencia.  Apparently, it's a holiday that celebrates the coming of warm weather, and the fact that the carpenters no longer need to work by lamplight and firelight during the long winter nights. 

All year long, the creators work to build these huge sculptures made of paper-maché and cardboard.  They work on the individual figures (called ninots); and then in one day, they scramble to set them up in their intended displays on the streets of Valencia.  They are on display for 4 days and then on St. Joseph's Day (the patron saint of carpenters), they burn all of them except the first prize winner, which goes into a museum.   It's really a month long celebration, but it culminates in those last 4 days.  There's 'mascletas' (fireworks) around 2pm everyday in the center of Valencia... people come by the thousands to experience it.  There's celebrating until late into the night, and then there's fireworks again around midnight.  Then, after a long night of celebrating, at 8am every morning, they do more fireworks in order to wake everyone up for the work-day.

Businesses shut down, schools shut down, even most of the streets in the center of the city are shut down!  So, when we decided to go into "el centro" to see the fallas, we had to take the bus into the city... the streets were all closed down and there was no-where to park!  We began our 2015 Fallas journey at 9am on the bus down the street from our house.  With all the kids, we don't love the huge crowds that come around the 2pm time; so we went early, hoping to leave before the crowds arrived.

It was a rainy day... actually, all 4 days were rainy this year.  But that didn't stop the show!  Thankfully, on the day that we went, it wasn't down-pouring... just sprinkling the whole time.  The kids thought it was the greatest!  We spent the whole day in the rain!

We walked all over the center of the city, looking at the different Fallas.  One of the things that the kids love most about Fallas is that they sell churros on almost every corner.  We had to live the true cultural experience, of course. :)

As we walked around, there were all sorts of booths selling things.  It was such a culturally rich experience!  I didn't get a picture of pallea... I was bummed when I got home and realized it.  Sorry!

We walked and walked... checking out the sites...

There are also these little Fallas that are done by kids!

Even though it was raining, we were still overwhelmed by the beauty of our city and the immensity of the Fallas!  They were "impresionante."

Just one of the side streets that was blocked off to all traffic.  You can see one of the Fallas at the very end of the street.

This is the bull ring in the center of the city

The last night of the festival, they burned all the Fallas and then they all gathered in one central plaza and they burned this sculpture of the Lion.

The art and creativity are amazing... especially in light of the fact that the creators know that their Fallas will be burned at the end of the festival.  (Some of the Fallas can be crude, so I had to be careful with the pictures I took.  Please forgive me if I missed something!)

We walked around for a couple hours; and although we enjoyed our time, we were completely soaked.  As the crowds began to pour in, we decided to go down a side-street and see if we could find a cafe and get coffee and "bocadillos" while we dried off and warmed up a little bit before taking the bus home.

Obviously, you can tell by their faces... the sandwiches were super yummy! :)  It was the perfect break to refuel before heading back into the crowds and taking the bus home!