I cannot believe this is my last full week in Spain!! I spent a lot of time talking to my host sister, Marga, on Monday. She told me all about Las Fallas, which is the traditional celebration held in commemoration of Saint Joseph. The festivities happen in Valencia every March. After learning all about it and seeing pictures, I am so bummed I won't be here to experience it. Valencianos are hard at work all year round preparing for the celebration. They work hard to create fallas, which are giant figures made of paper-mâché, wax, etc., often very colorful and standing at 20 feet tall or higher. They each satirize a political figure, a soap star, characters from television or movies, sports stars, or simply imagination. Some of them are grotesque, and other others playful and charming. They are all are larger than life and up for public scrutiny. On the final night of the festival, the fallas are burnt as huge bonfires in the streets, and there is also a huge firework display. This is known as La Cremà (the burning), the climax of the whole event.
Every day at 2:00pm, firecrackers rip through the Plaza del Ayuntamiento in a noisy event called la Mascleta. This concert of gunpowder is very popular, and involves different neighborhood groups competing for the most impressive volley, ending with the terremoto (earthquake), as hundreds of masclets explode simultaneously.
There are also a couple of days when the Valencianos take offerings of flowers to the Virgin Mary. There is a huge monument of Mary constructed in front of the Basilica and Cathedral, and the people bring flowers that are intricately placed on the monument to create a beautiful design. The people sing and dance in the streets and wear traditional costumes (which are AMAZING). My host sister showed me photographs of her dress from a couple of years ago. The colors are vibrant, and the designs are extremely intricate. All of the thread in her dress was made of real gold. The costumes are very expensive, and weigh a ton, but they are absolutely beautiful!
Historians say that the origins of the festival go back to the time when carpenters cleared out their workshops at the end of winter, throwing out odds and ends of wood and old candles and lighting them on the street on the day of Saint Joseph. I included a YouTube video below if you want to learn more or see what it looks like!
¡Hasta luego!
Every day at 2:00pm, firecrackers rip through the Plaza del Ayuntamiento in a noisy event called la Mascleta. This concert of gunpowder is very popular, and involves different neighborhood groups competing for the most impressive volley, ending with the terremoto (earthquake), as hundreds of masclets explode simultaneously.
There are also a couple of days when the Valencianos take offerings of flowers to the Virgin Mary. There is a huge monument of Mary constructed in front of the Basilica and Cathedral, and the people bring flowers that are intricately placed on the monument to create a beautiful design. The people sing and dance in the streets and wear traditional costumes (which are AMAZING). My host sister showed me photographs of her dress from a couple of years ago. The colors are vibrant, and the designs are extremely intricate. All of the thread in her dress was made of real gold. The costumes are very expensive, and weigh a ton, but they are absolutely beautiful!
Historians say that the origins of the festival go back to the time when carpenters cleared out their workshops at the end of winter, throwing out odds and ends of wood and old candles and lighting them on the street on the day of Saint Joseph. I included a YouTube video below if you want to learn more or see what it looks like!
¡Hasta luego!