Las Fallas is a festivity that can't be missed and if you have kids, do like the Valencianos do, take them along for the fiesta.
You can celebrate Las Fallas 2022 in Valencia city, but you can also choose one of the smaller towns in the region. The advantage being that there will be less people around and your visit will be a bit more calm and relaxed. At the end of tis article you will find a list with smaller towns that celebrate Fallas.
The Fallas Monuments
The origin of Las Fallas can be found in the eighteenth century when carpenters burned leftover wood in honor of their patron, Saint Josef. Over the years, these piles turned into huge statues, some even higher than a building, always looking to criticize or make fun of topics like politics.
As their construction takes time you will see that they start building them fairly early, but the official reveiling takes place on the morning of the 15th of March when the the children's Fallas are installed. These are the small monuments that children usually love because of their size.
The official installation of the big Fallas monuments takes place on the monring of the 16th of March. In Valencia city, the most important Fallas are the ones that are part of the "sección especial". Make sure you visit a few of these impressive Fallas like Na Jornada, el Pilar, Convento Jerusalén or Nou Campanar.
If you are visiting with kids we recommend an early morning stroll on the 15th or 16th of March in order to stay ahead of the crowds. Don't forget to wear your face-mask!
The Mascletà and the fireworks
An important part of the Fallas are the fireworks and firecrakcers!
The famous mascletà in Valencia city starts on the 1st of march and takes place every day at 14:00 on the Town Hall Square until the 19th of March. The mascletà is an impressive display of firecrackers known as masclets that are fired off for about 5-10 minutes. During a mascletà more than a hundred kilograms of gunpowder are burnt by exploding thousands of powerful firecrackers.
If you want to see the masletà with kids we recommend not to get too close as the explosions are really ear deafening and might scare the kids.
At night, spectacular firework shows take place, usually by the Turia park. We recommend you go and see one, they are truly spectacular!
And don't be surprised if you wake up ealry in the morning to the sound of more firecrackers. This is the “despertà”: the falleros go around the streets with firecrackers to wake up the neighbours!
The flower offerings
One of the most colourful and emotional events during Las Fallas are the flower offerings to the patron saint of Valencia. The falleros and falleras dress up in their traditional costumes and make their way on foot to "Plaza de la Virgen" where they offer flowers to the Virgen de los Desamparados.
La Cremà: burning of the Fallas monuments
It might seem odd, but at the end of Las Fallas all the monuments are burned. This tradition is called la cremà and takes place on the night of the 19th of March.
First, the small monuments go up in flames, which in Valencia city usually happens around 22:00. At midnight the big Fallas are burned. The last Fallas to go up in flames are the one at the town hall square and the winners of the first price in the sección especial.
Typical Fallas food and drinks
You can´t celebrate Las Fallas without trying the famous horchata (a refreshing non-alcoholic drink made of tiger nuts) or eat some fried pumpkin fritters called buñuelos de calabaza with a cup of hot chocolate milk.
Other towns that celebrate Las Fallas
If you want to celebrate Fallas outside Valencia city, you can choose one of these smaller towns. They have the same events only less people and recieved our Tour & Kids certificate, meaning they are family friendly!
Enjoy!
