Les Falles

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In this index we can see that I will talk about: What are Las Fallas? Here I will explain what they really are because you will see that most of the people think that they are a different thing than what they really are. Secondly, I will talk about Their history for example their origin or when and why the valencianos started celebrating it. Then, the different events and processes that the people need to pass to have everything ready for march. They seem easy and short but the reality is different. Later on I would like to explain the different types of different dressing and the typical food of this celebration. Finally, I would finish talking about The important people of this celebration because they need to pass a very large process that has a duration of one year. 

So, to get started, I’m going to reveal what the Valencian fallas really are.

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Well I reckon that if I start asking you what Las fallas are, most of the people would answer me like Las Fallas are the figure that one day gets burned and they usually are funny monuments. Also, others would answer me like the different events that happened in march for example La mascletá, la cremà, la ofrenda de flores… So if you believe that that is Las Fallas, you are kind of in the way but you are wrong. What Las Fallas are, is a group of people that live near one to each other and they put a name to their group and collect money to be able to carry out the activities. Las Fallas are prepared throughout the year with some acts but the most important acts and for which Valencians prepare all year round, these important acts take place between March 14 and 19.

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Ok, here we all know that the fallas is not something that has been celebrated for two or three years because it is a Valencian tradition of the 18th century in the year 1774. The origin of the fallera festival dates back to the ancient tradition of the city’s carpenters, who, on the eve of the feast of their patron Saint Joseph, burned old and useless junk in front of their workshops, in the streets and public squares that they used to raise the lamps that illuminate them while they worked in the winter months. These Fallas were evolving and becoming charged with a critical and ironic sense, showing above all in the Fallas monuments scenes that reproduced objectionable social events and social criticism always with a sense of humor. With the passage of time, Valencian city councils began to give more importance to the fallas until they became regional but recognized throughout Europe.

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Now talking about the events, we can name some of them. As I say before, Las Fallas aren’t celebrated just in march, they are celebrated in the whole year. The first one is the coronation of the Fallera major and fallera menor in the city hall. I don’t have an idea of the month that it occurs but I think it will be four months before or five. Another one could be that La falla meets a few days a month to build the ninot and have dinner. La cridà is celebrated on the last sunday of February. Then the acts that occurs in March are a lot for example “La mascletá” that they usually have a daily one, “Parade Ninot that are the 2 and 8 of march”  “Fireworks” that are a lot of nights because to the people that live there love fireworks for any celebration from birthday to wedding. “La plantá” that is March 15 and 16th, “el encendido de luces” that in 2020 was the March 6, “La exposición del ninot” is the March 14 and 15. The beautiful “Ofrenda de flores” is the 18th and this one formy is one of the best, and finally the last one that is “La cremà” that is the last act of march is the 19th. 

Now we turn to the next slide that it’s about dressing and food.

OK, so Las falleras are very good dressed with very expensive clothes and have a very difficult hairstyle.

The steps for having a Fallera hairstyle are, first make a low bun, and with false hair some braids to make an eight-shaped bun and go through this thick needle called canó. Then, You have to make two snail-shaped bows called “rodete”, for this you have to leave a little loose hair on the sides because these bows go over the ears, covering them. Finally, to finish the hairstyle, we add two waves in the part closest to the baby hairs and we reinforce them with hair gel and hairspray so that the hairstyle lasts all day. It’s important to put all the pins and combs in the hair, usually gold or silver. All the hair styles will be about 35€ (£31). Not counting the combs and hairpins that are about 200€ (£177). The complete dress would cost from 2000€ (£1771) to some that exceed 15000€ (£13284). The parts o the dress are the T-shirt, the socks called “Calça”, the under-skirt called “Sinagües”, the skirt called “guardapeu” the apron calle “Davantal”  the “gipó”, the “Marcador de pit”, the “Mantelilla”  the shoes called “Sabata”  then the “Aderezo” and finally the jewelry.

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The typical food of this celebration is the Paella because each Falla does a very big paella for everyone of their components. And they used to drink “Agua de Valencia” , which is an alcoholic drink that have: orange juice, gin and vodka and cava or champagne.

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Finally, I’m going to talk about the important figures of Las fallas that are… “el ninot”, “Els falleros”, “les falleres” and I want to say that she is my friend Claudia that lives there in a town called Ontinyent, “La mare de Déu dels Desemparats” and  “Santo José”.

Thank you for your attention