fallas

Fallas, or Las Fallas, is a traditional festival held in Valencia and other towns of the Valencian Community in Spain. It takes place annually in March, with major events culminating on March 19, Saint Joseph's Day.

The central feature of the celebration is the fallas themselves: large composite sculptures built by neighborhood commissions. Each falla is constructed on a wooden frame and covered with papier-mâché and other materials, often featuring satirical or allegorical scenes. A typical falla includes multiple figures called ninots. Each year one ninot is spared from burning through a public vote, an item later displayed in the Museo Fallero.

The festival’s program includes several key events. The Plantà marks the installation of the fallas in the streets. The Mascletà is a daily daytime pyrotechnic display that accompanies the celebration, while the Ofrenda de Flores sees people offering flowers to the Virgen de los Desamparados. There are processions and other street performances, and a morning wake-up call known as La Despertà.

La Cremà is the culminating event, held on the night of March 19, when the fallas are set alight in spectacular fires as part of the festival’s conclusion. The tradition also features infantil fallas, designed for children, and various regional rituals and competitions.

Cultural significance and recognition: Las Fallas has become a major cultural tradition in the region and was inscribed by UNESCO in 2016 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.