Valencia will once again be celebrating Europe’s largest street festival in March this year: Las Fallas. Carnival also takes place somewhere in this period. Can you make a comparison between Carnival and Las Fallas? Yes, there are many similarities, but also many differences. Based on the customs of Carnival, I give a glimpse into the typical Spanish celebration in the nicest city on the Mediterranean Sea.

A spring festival

The end of Carnival is traditionally the beginning of Lent, which is 40 days before Easter. Las Fallas, on the other hand, is celebrated every year from 15 to 19 March. In the run-up to these days there are also many festive moments, such as the opening of Las Fallas, La Crida on the last Sunday of February with an official part with music, fireworks, and a light show.

Carnival floats and Fallas monuments

During Carnival there is a parade with carnival floats from the various carnival associations. In Valencia there are 380 Falla associations that all have a doll or statue built. This structure, sometimes up to 18 meters high, is not on wheels, but stands in a street, an intersection or on a square. You can walk through the city yourself to view all these works of art.

Satire and caricatures

The central theme of the clubs during Las Fallas is often a happy or fantasy image, but the small dolls that are placed around it have a satirical touch. They are often caricatures of politicians or current topics from the news that are magnified or ridiculed. This is comparable to Carnival, where local politics are heavily criticized during the carnival parade.

A Catholic celebration

Las Fallas, like Carnival, is a Catholic celebration. Las Fallas is celebrated on March 19, which is Saint Joseph’s Day, the carpenter. Traditionally, waste wood was collected and burned on this day. In winter this wood was used for heating and for light. With the arrival of the longer days and the heat, it was no longer necessary. The woodpiles have now evolved into complete structures that will be burned in the night of March 19 to 20.

Are you dressing up or not?

During Carnival people dress up. How exuberant that is depends on where you live. But what do you wear during Las Fallas? As a visitor you tie a blue checkered scarf (which you can buy on every street corner) around your neck and that’s it. The clubs all have their own shirts and fleece sweaters in club colors. And then Valencia counts about 100,000 Falleras. These are ladies in traditional dresses who belong to a Falla association and who bring flowers to a patron saint of Valencia on March 17 and 18; Virgen de los Desamperados. The Ofrenda is a procession of ladies wearing long wide dresses of brightly colored fabrics with floral patterns that continues from early morning until late at night.

It’s a street festival

Las Fallas, like Carnival, is a street festival. This means that a large part of the activities takes place outside. As a visitor you can easily enjoy this.

This is what you see in the streets of Valencia:

• Fireworks! Anyone can buy and set off fireworks. There are also organized decorative fireworks shows called Castillos de Fuegos Artificieles in the nights from March 15 to 19^th. From March 1 to 19 every day at 2 p.m. la Mascleta which is a firecracker show.

• Stalls where you can buy Buñuelos de Calabaza or Churros with hot chocolate. Buñuelos de Calabaza are a kind of pumpkin dough donuts with powdered sugar.

• Fires on the street where Paella Valenciana is made.

• Party tents Verbenas where the clubs have temporary accommodation and can shelter from a shower and the cold evenings.

• A Discomovil is a truck that folds open and turns into a stage with a DJ booth. In no time there is a disco at your doorstep with live bands and a DJ.

In the complete program you will find the activities with the current information about Las Fallas.

Would you like to know in which neighborhoods the party is the biggest or where it is nice and quiet during Las Fallas? We are happy to help you find a dream apartment in Valencia and guide you through the relocation.