The Las Fallas festival in the Spanish city of Valencia is all about letting go, writes KALPANA SUNDER
Imagine a year of hard work and inspired creations going up in flames in a week? That’s what the Las Fallas festival of Valencia is all about. I am in Valencia, the third largest city in Spain, to watch the famous spring festival of Las Fallas de San Jose. Held every year in March, the five-day festival is pagan in origin,but was later continued by the Catholic church. Named after San Jose, aka Saint Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters, the festival celebrates the end of dark, cold working days of winter when carpenters burnt old scraps of wood as a kind of spring cleaning. All over the town I see mannequins made of paper, styrofoam and wood — called ninots — arranged in tableaus that illustrate social themes and popular culture, with a healthy dose of satire and even eroticism. From glittering fairies and humungous monsters to corrupt Spanish government officials, the range of the themes is wide.
I take the opportunity to explore Valencia’s historic centre with its winding medieval streets, old palaces and churches, and countless little shops and cafes. I also visit the 13th century Valencia Cathedral, home to the Virgen del Buen Parto, Our Lady of Good Delivery; it’s a tradition that during every month of their pregnancies, expectant women walk nine times around the cathedral before saying a prayer to ensure healthy delivery. Over the next few days, I explore the various facets of the festival, which include street parties with giant vats of paella, churros, and a local drink made of tiger nuts called horchata, pyrotechnics, and the all-important final night bonfire that the festival is named after. The La Ofrenda is my favourite of all the events. A procession of women, men and children walk with bouquets in their hands, cheered by enthusiastic onlookers, to dress a massive 45-ft-high wooden representation of our Lady of the Forsaken. The falleros, as they are called,move through the streets in colourful attire, with bands playing traditional folk music.
The flowers offered by the falleros to the Virgin are collected in synchronised steps by a team, and an impressive tapestry is woven with the flowers on the main façade of the Basilica.The procession is that part of the Fallas that has deep religious meaning; I am touched to see many women and children with tears streaming down their eyes, dressed in brocade gowns with full skirts of apple red and leaf green, embroidered in gold and silver thread. It’s seen as an honour for families to be part of this procession, an achievement of a lifetime. The five-day extravaganza concludes on the night of March 19. As the clock strikes midnight, the Fallas, spread throughout the city, are burnt. In an awe-inspiring display, the statues laden with fireworks are lit amid loud cheering from the assembled crowd; the hungry fires produce ominous black smoke that gathers in clouds above the city. “When our sculptures are on fire,we feel good,”explains an artist who made the biggest statue that year, “because we know that another year is over and we’re ready to start again.”To an outsider it may seem wasteful,but to the Valencians it is all about letting go. It’s also about the circle of life — burning down to start afresh.
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