Fallas 2007

So as you saw from one of my earlier posts (like last year or the year before) there is a 'unique' festivle here in Valencia. I have learned a few more things about the event over the past three years. (By the way – I can not believe that I have been in Spain for THREE of these!)

This year is the 75th anniversary of the Fallas. The religious background is that it is to honor Joseph - the carpenter. So to 'honor him' they build these HUGE non movable floats - and then starting partying at the beginning of March and each night gets more intense until the final night on the 19th of March when they BURN all of the 'floats'!

An average day in Fallas is:

2pm - Mascletta- an excuse to fire off extremely LOUD explosions in the central plaza and it is a competition to see who is the best but no one can tell me what other factors go into deciding who wins other than by decible level.

There are also multiple other Masclettas like this one that happened next to us on the beach.

Steve didn't believe me last year when I tried to describe it but he learned this year!

Followed by a long lunch
Lots more explosions
9:00 dinner & drinking

Midnight or 1am - fireworks
Then the Party really starts and continues until....
8:00am "Morning Mascletta" with bands and parades to signal the time to go home and sleep before it all starts again.

Each neighborhood is a Grand Fallas and about every 3rd cross street is their own Fallas (think of a VFW hall that does community service AND builds and burns stuff).

Each Fallas elects a girl and a woman to be their Mayor de Fallas - kind of a "beauty queen/most popular" combo. Then they all compete in their 'Grand Fallas' and then in the whole city. The woman who wins this is elevated to celebrity level and is escorted around in a limo making appearances for the following year.

Plaza of the Virgin Flowers:
During the last few days and nights there is a constant parade when each neighborhood participated in a long walk to the plaza where they offer fresh flowers and it is used to fill in a structure that is somewhere around 100 feet tall. And much of it is live on television!