Days 185–214: Las Fallas
Experiencing the sights, sounds, and tastes of Las Fallas, for the first time.
(21 February — 22 March, 2023)
As I sit here on Day 240, feeling deep love for Valencia, I’m aware that Las Fallas is partly responsible. How could I not love a city that prioritizes art and community over bus routes and working days? Or a city with community organizations so committed that they’ll invest their time, energy, and resources in celebrating for a full month straight?
There are costumes, fireworks, special fried dough treats, street parties, parades, and light & music shows. All of that is alongside the creation of elaborate statues with the intention for them to be enjoyed for all of a few days before being burned to the ground in a huge nod to the “process over product” idea that I love so much with a side of “experiences over possessions” that speaks to me even more since our move.
So, what all came together to make me fall in love with Las Fallas?
Las Fallas First
The preparations for Las Fallas hit our barrio on the 21st of February. The slow build of excitement, extra for me since this was the first time and I had no idea what to expect, was delicious.
Several weeks before “the big weekend” our bus routes changed, and stayed changed through about a week after La Cremà (more on that later). They had to change because several streets were closed in anticipation of the huge sculptures that took days or weeks to erect. The statues were, of course, in the middle of the street, sometimes in the middle of an intersection.
Shops and restaurants had different hours, sometimes due to celebrating, and sometimes due to being inaccessible due to the street closures and statue placements.
The city center FILLED every day for the 2 pm mascletàs (more on those later), with people leaving work/school/home to participate.
Casal Culture
I have been a sucker for squad life since watching Grease back in the 70s and Las Falleras y Los Falleros definitely got my attention. These community centers (my words, not theirs) are all over the city and, apparently, the autonomous region overall. Each one has a logo/coat of arms type thing that identifies membership and designing and building the statues of the holiday are an annual activity. Many have marching bands — MARCHING BANDS — and I’m sure there’s even more cool things involved about which I have no idea.
During the month of Las Fallas the Casals have street parties, don costumes (think princesses and pirates) based on honoring the silk trade, and, of course, build/place their amazing works of art that are the hallmark of the holiday.
There are two things keeping me from signing up to join a Casal — my lack of fluency in Castellano (not to mention Valenciano which, I think, is the language more frequently used in at least the Casal closest to us) and my fear of being “that guy” by barging in where I don’t belong. For now, I’ll just work on being their biggest fan.
Las Fallas Themselves
These statues are ah-may-zing! And their intended to only exist for a weekend! And did I mention how amazing they are? All over the city, las fallas demand attention. Some of them are HUGE (like building-height), some of them fill their intersection, and all of them are works of art.
We didn’t find them all (yes, there’s even a pokemon-esque app to earn points along the way). I’m not 100% sure how one would unless hunting them down was *all* one did for the full weekend. Riding the busses and catching glimpses of them, going for walks and letting the presence of lights and flags pull us off course in search of them, and even just knowing that the city — the whole city — was full of them brought big joy to my heart.
Las Fallas is something of a love it or hate it holiday and I am solidly in the love it camp.
