The Fallas Festival in Valencia is held from March 14 to 19 to celebrate the coming of spring, and the main feature is a giant falla. This monument, which is made up of caricatures created by local artists and craftspeople, provides a commentary on the social issues of the day. In the town square, a Falla is erected, and it's set alight at the end of the festival.
The falla symbolizes purification and a renewal of social activity in the community. In addition, marching bands parade the streets, outdoor meals are hosted, and fireworks are displayed. Each year, the festival's Queen is elected to promote the festival throughout the year and encourage locals and visitors alike to take part. Families pass down the knowledge of the craft, particularly those involved in the construction of the ninots, which are huge statues made of papier-mache, cardboard, wood, or plaster that belong to different guilds among participating communities.
The Fallas Festival offers community pride, cultural identity, and social cohesion. It is also a source of collective creativity and the safeguarding of traditional arts and crafts. When the Valencian language was prohibited, the festivity was also a way of preserving it. In honor of San José (Saint Joseph), which is the patron saint of carpenters.
The festival started in the Middle Ages when carpenters hung planks of wood called 'parots' which supported their candles when working in the winter. When spring arrived, they would be burned to commemorate the end of the dark, winter working days. Children play an equally important role as adults in the Fallas festival. The children participate in commissions just as adults. They have their own falla, ninots, Queen "Fallera Mayor" with its courtyards and parade, as well as mascletà, fireworks, and plantà, as well as a cremà.
There are as many fallas for children as for adults. Also, schools close for one week so that everyone can fully enjoy Fallas holidays. Fallas also has many different meanings, now referred to as the festival, the fires that are part of the festival, the scenes that are built and are set ablaze, or communities of neighbors who oversee and carry out the work.
Nowadays, local neighborhoods have a committee called a Casal Faller that is in charge of raising funds for the construction of the 'ninot.' This is especially true for an area of the city called Ciutat Fallera where a whole group of workers and designers spend months creating all the incredible towering tableaux. The 'ninots' are often merciless satires of Spanish and international celebrities and politicians.
Fallas Festivity provides a chance for collective creativity and to preserve traditional arts and crafts. In the past, this event preserved the Valencian language when it was prohibited, as well as being a source of community pride, contributing to cultural identity and social cohesion.