Valencia Fallas Fallas de Valencia Falles de València | |
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Date(s) | 15 to 19 March |
Frequency | Annual |
Location(s) | Valencia, Spain |
Fiesta of International Tourist Interest | |
Designated | 1980 |
Valencia Fallas festival | |
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Country | Spain |
Reference | 00859 |
Region | Europe and North America |
Inscription history | |
Inscription | 2016 (11th session) |
List | Representative |
The Fallas (Valencian: Falles; Spanish: Fallas) is a traditional celebration held annually in commemoration of Saint Joseph in the city of Valencia, Spain. The five main days celebrated are from 15 to 19 March,[1][2] while the Mascletà, a pyrotechnic spectacle of firecracker detonation, takes place every day from 1 to 19 March.[2][3] The term Fallas refers to both the celebration and the Falla monuments (Falla, singular; Fallas/Falles, plural) burnt during the celebration.[4] The Fallas (Falles in Valencian) festival was added to UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage of humanity list on 30 November 2016.[5] A number of towns in the Valencian Community have similar celebrations inspired by the original Fallas de Valencia festival. For example, the Bonfires of Saint John (Hogueras de San Juan or Fogueres de Sant Joan) in Alicante or the Fiestas de la Magdalena in Castellón de la Plana.
Each neighbourhood of the city has an organised group of people, the Commission, that meets at the Casal faller, and works all year long holding fundraising parties and dinners, usually featuring the noted dish paella,[6] a specialty of the region. Each commission produces a construction known as falla which is burned the last day of the celebration. Currently there are approximately 400 registered commissions in Valencia.[7][8]