Dear Valencia,
March means Fallas
The month of March can only mean one thing in Valencia: Fallas. The behemoth of a festival is well and truly underway and will climax late on Tuesday night with La Crema. In all the year nothing in the Valencian calendar is either as big or as loud as Fallas. As such I thought now was the time to write to my neighbours across the city.
This is an open letter to the people and the city of Valencia. To each and everyone taking part, be it the falleras y falleros or those who are just one in the large crowds that swarm the streets. I am writing to you not to malign or antagonise as I know feelings run deep but more as a chance to explore my feelings of the festivities. It seems like everything is black and white these days, today my only aim is to share some grey.
A weekend long in the making
This long weekend is the culmination of weeks and months of hard work by hundreds if not thousands of people in the community. The dedication of each and every casal faller in Valencia and the wider area is staggering. It is clear that for many here Fallas is something much more than a long weekend: it’s a way of life. These days visitors come from across the Valencian community, Spain and beyond to soak up the unique atmosphere
The result is a wild festival celebrating the city, the region and the life we have here. There is so much history and equally so much going on that it is easy to see why UNESCO named it an Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
As an outsider looking in, there is so much I don’t understand. I have never known a place with such an obsession for fireworks, explosions and bangs. The festival takes over and whether you like it or not you are going to hear it. There is so much going on and so many aspects to it that it is hard to know where to begin. This is why I have left it to other websites to explain what to see. I could never do it justice.
A word of caution
Yet as I write these words, the sounds of the city unavoidable, I feel I need to say something more. This is a city I care about and a place I call home. When I speak about where I live I only speak with pride. I believe that for every person who lives for these days there is another who is looking forward to it all being over.
In the heart of the city It sometimes feels that for every band which passes a rocket goes off, for every family having fun there is a siren. I don’t want to be a spoilsport, I am just trying to point out the good and the bad.
Future of Fallas
Is it all a bit too much? I have my thoughts and I believe that I am not the only one who has been having this conversation. I have discussed it over the dinner table and by the coffee machine. Not that it should be me to decide, certainly not, but I do at least hope that conversations are happening about the direction the festival takes in the future.
As a child I used to be scared of a simple balloon popping. As such I could never condone the throwing of explosions at all hours. Neither do I enjoy hearing about them being thrown in the directions of others. I won’t be going out to sit at a bar or a restaurant this weekend and neither will many others.
The festivities need not be an excuse for anti-social behaviour, vandalism or stupidity. Yet for a minority this behaviour seems to be part of the fun. This should be a time when the community comes together and does not alienate others. Speaking for myself and perhaps for many, this is what the festival needs to address the most.
Happy Fallas!
To everyone I say, enjoy these special days. These are the moments in life which we should cherish. I just sincerely hope that the enjoyment is not at the expense of others who sit and wait for it all to return back to normal. Happy fallas!
