The Fallas of Valencia   by Muchosol

in Travel    (submitted 2012-02-22)

The so called Fallas is the most important international and fascinating folk festival of Valencia. It owes its name to the huge statues made of carton and built up in the city of Valencia which get burnt on 19 of March at 10 o'clock, the day of San Juan, with a lot of hustle and jubilation. On the night from 14 to 15 of March they are built up all night long or some already a few days before. In the week from 15 to 19 of March you can then admire these exceptional statues called ninots in the whole city. There will be about 700 of them and they can reach a hight up to 20 metres. The Fallas are the second biggest festival in Spain after the Sanfermines in Pamplona.

During the whole week there are processions, fireworks and you can see the people singing or dancing in the streets and simply enjoying their festival of the year of which they are so proud. There are several dancing events in which people participate in its precious and typical Fallas dresses. One should also keep on mind that the fantastic bullfight season starts with the Fallas. So you cannot only come to Valencia to see the amazing figures in the city and enjoy the fabulous ambiance but also to see a bullfight in the arena of Valencia if you consider it as a part of the Spanish culture.

Moreover, there is a beauty competition. Each district presents a Fallera who tries to convince the people with her precious dress and appearance to win it and to be in form of a portrait in the museum of the Fallas which you can visit easily from your villas in Denia.What do these numerous statues present that are built up in the whole city? It's a mixture of satire and political or historical personalities that intend to provoke and criticize with a great amount of humor actual topics as well as current problems. The humor and irony of the citizens of Valencia gets reflected and expressed in this way. But of course the best and most beautiful ninots will get saved by referendum and be exposed in the museum of the Fallas in Valencia. There you can find a wide range of the winner statues in miniature from the beginning up to now.You can also see the Fallas in Denia where you can stay at villas in Denia or you can stay at accommodations in Calpe if in Valencia no accommodations are left.

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