Holy Firecracker Batman!
Las Fallas Tours
One of the easiest ways to enjoy the Las Fallas festival in Valencia is to join one of the many tours on offer. We have some information on a few of the great tour operators who operate tours to Valencia for Las Fallas. The following tour operators are some of the biggest and best in the business and they will be sure to provide you with an amazing experience that is sure to cure your travel FOMO.
Valencia
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Las Fallas Travel InformationTo be in Valencia for Las Fallas is one of the must-do travel experiences. We have extensive information on all Las Fallas Festival in Valencia travel and tour options available. With hundreds of thousands of people attending the Las Fallas festival each year, Valencia becomes a a hive of activity and available accommodation and flights become hard to come by during Las Fallas. We advise you to book as early as you possibly can.
If you are an independent traveller and you like to book it all yourself, then we have all the tools required for you to get the best out of the Las Fallas festival. Check out our Accommodation booking page, where you will find both our Hotel and Hostel Search Engines. If you need to book flights, we have a great Flight Search Engine that searces hundreds of online travel and airline websites to find you the best deal. With all our search engines all deals are located on one easy page for you to click, compare and book. |
Las Fallas Information
About
Spain is definitely home to some of the world's largest and most exciting festivals, but without question the loudest is definitely Las Fallas, which occurs in Valencia each year. The Las Fallas Festival is annually in March, with the main events taking place between the 15th and 19th of the month.
Las Fallas is a traditional celebration held in commemoration of Saint Joseph, who just happens to be the Patron Saint of Carpenters. The term “fallas” refers to both the celebration and the monuments created during the celebration. A number of towns within the Valencia region hold celebrations inspired by the original one in Valencia and there are more than 500 different Fallas events throughout regional Valencia.
Prior to the five-day Las Fallas festival each year, massive floats that take months to contruct are built. Each neighbourhood of Valenica has a group of people called “Casal faller” or “comissió fallera”, who work all year round holding fundraising events or dinners. These dinners quite often feature the famous Spanish dish of paella, which is a specialty of the Valencia region. Each “casal faller” produces a construction known as a falla, which incidentally are are all burnt to the ground at the end of Las Fallas festival.
The people from Valencia love their Las Fallas Festival. It's a wonderfully spectacular experience uniquely done in true Spanish style. The two week long festival has actually spawned a huge local industry and an entire Valencia neighbourhood has been designated the City of Fallas(Ciutat fallera). In this neighbourhood artists, sculptors, painters and many others spend months producing the elaborate constructions up to five stories high that are made out of materials like paper, wax, wood and styrofoam.
Although the Fallas is a very traditional event and many participants dress in medieval clothing, Las Fallas has included such modern characters created like Shrek, Lady Gaga and Barack Obama.
History
There are different speculations regarding the origin of the Las Fallas Festival, but one thought is that it started as long ago as the Middle Ages when Valencian carpenters used planks of wood called parots to hang their candles on during the winter. These parots were used to provide a light for the carpenters to work by.
Once springtime arrived and the days became longer, the lamps were no longer required and they were ceremoniously burnt at the entrance of the workshop. Carpenters would add off-cuts, wood shavings and leftovers from around the neighbourhood and the old lamp was placed in the centre and was decorated with old rags and a hat. This was later referred to as ‘the Falla’
As the tradition continued over the years the parot would be dressed with clothing to make it look like it was actually the figure of a person. It was not uncommon to give the parrot features of one of the well-known people from the neighbourhood.
To collect these materials, children went from house to house asking for old rugs, old furniture and utensils to add to the parot. These parots were the first fallas and over a period of time, the neighbourhood people organized the building of much more elaborate fallas At some point the Church got involved and the date of the burning of these parots was made to coincide with the celebration of the festival of Saint Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters.
What To Do There???
The five days and nights of Las Fallas is just one big long party. During the festival you will see plenty of historical, religious, and comedic processions. Crowds in the restaurants spill out into the streets and explosions from firecrackers are heard all day long and into the night. The streets of Valencia are simply littered with countless debris from firecrackers and tourists to Las Fallas will be shocked to see everyone including small children and the elderly throwing fireworks.
During Las Fallas, many people dress in regional and historical costumes from different historical eras. Specific Valencian reed and drum instruments, known as the dolçaina and tabalet, are often played all over the town, as most of the different neighbourhoods have their own traditional bands.
Away from the Las Fallas, people gather in the streets with the entire Valencia city resembling one big dance party. There is also constant deafening sounds of people throwing fireworks around randomly. There are plenty of stalls selling trinkets and traditional Spanish fried snacks like, porres, xurros and bunyols.
Events during Las Fallas
On 1 March each year, the first explosion of firecrackers is held in the square in front of the Valenica City Hall. This announces to everyone that Las Fallas festival period has commenced, although the major five days of Las Fallas do not begin until 15 March.
La Despertà - Each day of Las Fallas begins at 8:00 am with La Despertà ("the wake-up call"). Brass bands march down every street playing lively music. Close behind them are the fallers, throwing large firecrackers in the street as they go.
La Mascletà - The Mascletà is almost unique to Valencia with smaller neighbourhoods often holding their own mascletà on public holidays and for weddings. The celebrations, found in very few other places in the world, is an explosive barrage of coordinated firecracker and fireworks displays. The Mascletà occurs at 2:00 pm in every neighbour and each day of the festival. The main event is the municipal Mascletà in the Plaça de l'Ajuntament where people compete to perform the final Mascletà of the fiestas on 19 March.
La Plantà - On 15 March all of the major Fallas are to be completed and shown off. If they are not completed by this time then they will be disqualified from this years event..
L'Ofrena de flors - From 4pm to midnight on 17 and 18 March, there is an enormous multi-coloured parade where the members of each of the fallas wear decorated traditional costumes and carry bunches of flowers as an offering to their Patron Saint. At this event each falla casal takes an offering of flowers to a statue of the Holy Mary.
Els Castells - At night from 15 to 18 March there is a fireworks display in the old river bed area of Valencia. The fireworks display gets progressively larger each night.
Cabalgata del Fuego - At 7pm on 19 March (the final evening of Las Fallas), the Fire Parade takes place along Colon street and Porta de la Mar square. In Spanish, this parade is referred to as the Cabalgata del Fuego, and it is a spectacular celebration of fire, which is essentially the main them of the whole festival. It is a colourfully noisy event that features exhibitions relating to fire from all over the world. The Fire Parade contains floats, giant mechanisms, people in costumes, rockets, gunpowder and street performers. In many ways the Fire Parade is the grand finale of Las Fallas Festival.
La Cremà - Just on midnight on 19 March the dramatic closing act, the La Cremà (the Burning), takes place. The Burning is the climax of the entire Las Fallas festival and the reason why the constructions are called fallas. The event involves a massive bonfire and the fallas, which are carefully prepared during the many months prior, are set ablaze and destroyed! Traditionally, the falla in the Plaça de l'Ajuntament is burned last.
However, one fallas is saved by the votes of the falleros, which is destined to be preserved forever in the Fallero Museum.
So How Do You Do Las Fallas in Valencia???
Spain is definitely home to some of the world's largest and most exciting festivals, but without question the loudest is definitely Las Fallas, which occurs in Valencia each year. The Las Fallas Festival is annually in March, with the main events taking place between the 15th and 19th of the month.
Las Fallas is a traditional celebration held in commemoration of Saint Joseph, who just happens to be the Patron Saint of Carpenters. The term “fallas” refers to both the celebration and the monuments created during the celebration. A number of towns within the Valencia region hold celebrations inspired by the original one in Valencia and there are more than 500 different Fallas events throughout regional Valencia.
Prior to the five-day Las Fallas festival each year, massive floats that take months to contruct are built. Each neighbourhood of Valenica has a group of people called “Casal faller” or “comissió fallera”, who work all year round holding fundraising events or dinners. These dinners quite often feature the famous Spanish dish of paella, which is a specialty of the Valencia region. Each “casal faller” produces a construction known as a falla, which incidentally are are all burnt to the ground at the end of Las Fallas festival.
The people from Valencia love their Las Fallas Festival. It's a wonderfully spectacular experience uniquely done in true Spanish style. The two week long festival has actually spawned a huge local industry and an entire Valencia neighbourhood has been designated the City of Fallas(Ciutat fallera). In this neighbourhood artists, sculptors, painters and many others spend months producing the elaborate constructions up to five stories high that are made out of materials like paper, wax, wood and styrofoam.
Although the Fallas is a very traditional event and many participants dress in medieval clothing, Las Fallas has included such modern characters created like Shrek, Lady Gaga and Barack Obama.
History
There are different speculations regarding the origin of the Las Fallas Festival, but one thought is that it started as long ago as the Middle Ages when Valencian carpenters used planks of wood called parots to hang their candles on during the winter. These parots were used to provide a light for the carpenters to work by.
Once springtime arrived and the days became longer, the lamps were no longer required and they were ceremoniously burnt at the entrance of the workshop. Carpenters would add off-cuts, wood shavings and leftovers from around the neighbourhood and the old lamp was placed in the centre and was decorated with old rags and a hat. This was later referred to as ‘the Falla’
As the tradition continued over the years the parot would be dressed with clothing to make it look like it was actually the figure of a person. It was not uncommon to give the parrot features of one of the well-known people from the neighbourhood.
To collect these materials, children went from house to house asking for old rugs, old furniture and utensils to add to the parot. These parots were the first fallas and over a period of time, the neighbourhood people organized the building of much more elaborate fallas At some point the Church got involved and the date of the burning of these parots was made to coincide with the celebration of the festival of Saint Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters.
What To Do There???
The five days and nights of Las Fallas is just one big long party. During the festival you will see plenty of historical, religious, and comedic processions. Crowds in the restaurants spill out into the streets and explosions from firecrackers are heard all day long and into the night. The streets of Valencia are simply littered with countless debris from firecrackers and tourists to Las Fallas will be shocked to see everyone including small children and the elderly throwing fireworks.
During Las Fallas, many people dress in regional and historical costumes from different historical eras. Specific Valencian reed and drum instruments, known as the dolçaina and tabalet, are often played all over the town, as most of the different neighbourhoods have their own traditional bands.
Away from the Las Fallas, people gather in the streets with the entire Valencia city resembling one big dance party. There is also constant deafening sounds of people throwing fireworks around randomly. There are plenty of stalls selling trinkets and traditional Spanish fried snacks like, porres, xurros and bunyols.
Events during Las Fallas
On 1 March each year, the first explosion of firecrackers is held in the square in front of the Valenica City Hall. This announces to everyone that Las Fallas festival period has commenced, although the major five days of Las Fallas do not begin until 15 March.
La Despertà - Each day of Las Fallas begins at 8:00 am with La Despertà ("the wake-up call"). Brass bands march down every street playing lively music. Close behind them are the fallers, throwing large firecrackers in the street as they go.
La Mascletà - The Mascletà is almost unique to Valencia with smaller neighbourhoods often holding their own mascletà on public holidays and for weddings. The celebrations, found in very few other places in the world, is an explosive barrage of coordinated firecracker and fireworks displays. The Mascletà occurs at 2:00 pm in every neighbour and each day of the festival. The main event is the municipal Mascletà in the Plaça de l'Ajuntament where people compete to perform the final Mascletà of the fiestas on 19 March.
La Plantà - On 15 March all of the major Fallas are to be completed and shown off. If they are not completed by this time then they will be disqualified from this years event..
L'Ofrena de flors - From 4pm to midnight on 17 and 18 March, there is an enormous multi-coloured parade where the members of each of the fallas wear decorated traditional costumes and carry bunches of flowers as an offering to their Patron Saint. At this event each falla casal takes an offering of flowers to a statue of the Holy Mary.
Els Castells - At night from 15 to 18 March there is a fireworks display in the old river bed area of Valencia. The fireworks display gets progressively larger each night.
Cabalgata del Fuego - At 7pm on 19 March (the final evening of Las Fallas), the Fire Parade takes place along Colon street and Porta de la Mar square. In Spanish, this parade is referred to as the Cabalgata del Fuego, and it is a spectacular celebration of fire, which is essentially the main them of the whole festival. It is a colourfully noisy event that features exhibitions relating to fire from all over the world. The Fire Parade contains floats, giant mechanisms, people in costumes, rockets, gunpowder and street performers. In many ways the Fire Parade is the grand finale of Las Fallas Festival.
La Cremà - Just on midnight on 19 March the dramatic closing act, the La Cremà (the Burning), takes place. The Burning is the climax of the entire Las Fallas festival and the reason why the constructions are called fallas. The event involves a massive bonfire and the fallas, which are carefully prepared during the many months prior, are set ablaze and destroyed! Traditionally, the falla in the Plaça de l'Ajuntament is burned last.
However, one fallas is saved by the votes of the falleros, which is destined to be preserved forever in the Fallero Museum.
So How Do You Do Las Fallas in Valencia???