Las Fallas de Valencia

My family is from Valencia,and even though I live in Mexico, I had heard about Las Fallas. A few years ago I went to Valencia during Las Fallas and I have a few comments to make. First of all, this party is dedicated to Saint Joseph, and its objective is the celebration of the carpenters' patron saint. This started with burning sticks of wood, but little by little they evolved until they transformed into the Fallas we know nowadays. Another experience is the "mascleta" which is the explosion of gunpowder rockets - in spite of the noise, it's worth seeing. The Valencians are very fond of gunpowder, so the night before the "crema" they burn an impressive firecracker castle that leaves most of the city smelling of gunpowder.

This festival is just incredible! The best experiences can be had by going to the smaller celebrations throughout the city, instead of following the larger crowds.

We were disappointed the first day we arrived, because we could not get to the main square. We were on the bus when we could hear the mascletas (firecrackers) start going off. When we finally got near the centre we were nearly crushed by the huge crowd, although we managed to glimpse a few ninots (giant caricatures of Spain’s rich and famous). The next day we decided to arrive earlier and walk through some of the surrounding neighbourhoods in hopes of finding a back way in. To our great surprise we found small and friendly neighbourhoods, each with their own mascletas. The locals were friendly and vibrant. We were even able to get an outdoor seat at a restaurant where we were served immediately.

We watched two different mascletas celebrations (they are loud) and could stand without interference only 20 feet away. So we stayed on the outskirts and enjoyed mingling with the locals. It was amazing to watch all the little children setting off firecrackers on their own. It was interesting to compare the scene to the U.S., where even sparklers are outlawed. The parades and pageantry of the little squares was beautiful. At 1:30am we watched the fireworks from very far away. I would have liked to have been closer, but I couldn't imagine fighting that surging crowd again. Even still, it was a great display and we watched it amongst the locals. It’s a must see! But see it away from the main square.

Explosive! Light, color, fire, gunpowder, noise, flowers - the best party in the whole of Europe and easily in the same league as the Carnival of Rio de Janeiro!