On March 22, Global Coffee Hour invited students to “explore Spain” with a presentation on Las Fallas de Valencia by Ian Dewar, senior hospitality leadership major. Dewar spoke about the festival and his childhood in Valencia.
Dewar was born in Valencia, Spain. His father is from Texas and met his mother in Spain. He moved to the Williamsport in Pennsylvania, when he was 12, and has resided in the United States ever since.
Las Fallas de Valencia is a festival that occurs only in the city of Valencia from March 1 until the 19 at 1 a.m.
The festival features large paper mache sculptures (fallas) which are created by neighborhood artists. On March 15 and 16, the plantá takes place where all fallas are positioned for judging and viewing the following day.
On March 19, all are burned (cremá) at 10 p.m. except for one that is voted to be saved for the following year. During this time attendees throw fireworks to help with the burning. The City Hall fallas is the last to burn which signals the end of the festival.
From the March 17 to 18, “L’Ofrena de flors” occurs where casal fallers walk through the city with fireworks, candy and flowers which are then offered to a large statue of the Virgin Mary.
Dewar also mentioned that this year, the fallas had political themes, which some did not like. However, for the most part, the fallas are meant to showcase art rather than any specific theme.
The festival features many types of foods (like churros, buñuelos and paella); every community has its own delicacy. Dewar’s hometown specializes in horchata, a very sweet white drink, which is made out of chufa.
Valencian men and women also wear traditional valencian clothing during the event, including ball-like gowns, guayabera shirts and corduroy trousers.
Dewar describes Valencian fireworks as small amounts of TNT, as they are simply meant to blow up, rattle the ground and be loud rather than “pretty” or flashy like traditional western ideas of fireworks.
“You go there just to hear noises,” said Dewar. “They’re not there just to look; it’s more to hear it and feel it.”
The nearly month-long festival features many separate events or elements that occur during March, one such being la Despterá, or “wake your neighbor”, where young children set off fireworks at 8 a.m. every day for the entirety of the festival.
“It’s the most loved and hated,” said Dewar.
“Las Fallas is one of the things I miss most about Spain,” he continued. “I miss throwing the fireworks and just the chaos of Fallas.”
