Sergio Andrés Sànchez Clemente

FALLAS FESTIVITY INTRODUCTION

If you have ever come to Spain, you have probably heard about the Spanish

ham, the Sevillanas, the acoustic guitar, the tradition, etc.

However, if you have been to Valencia at the beginning of March you have

probably felt the smoke of the rockets, the sound of the excited people

shouting very loud, asking for more emotions, living this festivity that we

know with the name of FALLAS.

This is a time when everything sounds in a different way, when everything

has a more exciting climate which surrounds the streets.

If you come from a foreign country, this festivity will probably cause you a

strange sensation, but you will soon discover friendly people here and the

importance of this festivals for us. It's our tradition and it's what we decide

that it is, because it's done by us, the Valencian people, for ourselves and for

everyone who wants to enjoy it.

HISTORY OF THE FALLAS

THE ORIGINS

There are some different theories about the origin of this festivity. Some of

them say that it comes from an ancient non-religious ritual which worshipped

the fire in the entrance of the spring. Others say that it comes from the

tradition of burning up by carpenters of the rest that were left over, to

honour their patron Saint Joseph.

The thing is that the name "falla" comes from the ancient Latin word

"faculae", which means torch.

FROM THE XVIII CENTURY ON

Fallas took a stronger and more complex appearance during the XVIII

century, when the figures started to look in movement and were used to

criticize the present moment and the main figures of that society. It had a

close character. They also described daily actions and situations.

Afterwards, during the 1870s, it became a way that popular classes had for

protesting and complaining about the political corruption, etc. Then, autho-

rities tried to cut this situation in some different ways. One of them was to

include the bourgeoisie in the festivity, what caused that fallas took an artis-

tic way.

Then at the end of the 1920s, it turned into a more complex festivity, being

included the "Himne Faller".

After the entrance of Franco in the Spanish government, in 1939, this

Llibret was one of the few ways that Valencian people had of transmitting

their language in a public way.

Afterwards, due to the dictatorial regime it was established a political

censure, so fallas couldn't portray some of the reality facts. This censure

lasted until the death of the dictator.

Despite of all the difficulties that it has suffered, it continues being one of

the most important festivities in La Comunitat Valenciana in our days.

ELABORATION

INTRODUCTION

All of us know that all the fallas are amazing and enormous. And this celebration is very important for us, and a part of our culture. But these fallas don’t appear from anything, they have to be thought by someone. For this reason I’m going to explain the elaboration of these giant figures.

PREPARATION

First, someone has to draw it, and then it has to be approved by the town hall. After that, it has to be designed and measured. They have to know all the information about the structure of the sculpture and all the measures. Then they need a lot of materials for the falla, and when they got it, they have to cut and prepare all the materials to start building them. Usually, the structure of the falla is composed of wood and cardboard and obviously, a lot of inflammable materials.

CONSTRUCTION

After that, they start building the falla in parts, they build it, they paint and decorated it, but always separated in parts. And this is very important because when they finish the figure they have to transport all the parts to the final localization to assemble all the parts to complete the falla and prepare it for the “cremà”.

FESTA

La festa de les falles The party in the fallas

Exist diferent elements what it are the party. This are:

-La junta central fallera (central board): is the organization when it

coordinate the party each city and village.

-Los artistas falleros (the artist): They are the person in charge to do

the monument and bulid. They too do decoration for the local.

-Las comisiones falleras (the comittee): It is a local when the people

the each falla located for eat, to go together for the street, and more.

Ever comisiones falleras have a falla and a falla infantil.

-El monumento (the monument): Normally, It has a character satirical

with a topical actually. It has a high central figure, with a lot of figure

around it. Some figure have a poster write in valenciano, for explain

the mean of the falla, it always with meaning satirical and critical.

-Explosivos pirotécnicos (explosive pyrotechnics): this are the

principals elements because it is use to do the mascletà every days in

fallas. In this periode, the people buy for burts. This is because is very

funny burts this elements pyrotechnics.

- Indumentaria tradicional (clothes traditionals): The fallera suit appear

in the s. XVI, it was used for the women farmen valenciana for job.

With the time, it was develop in a elegant suit used for especial

occasion. Ultimately, the actually fallera suit is the party suit, that the

valencianas used years before. In the hair, the woman can wear a big

bun of to the head.

The men (falleros) traditional clothes are saragüell suit or de "torrentí".

They can't wear a tie or flowers.

The women (fallera) traditional clothes is the full dress the farmen

valencianas. They can't wear any piece of clothes don't traditionals or

suit own.

The loose shirt (blusón) isn't a clothe traditional valenciana. It only can

use in the private act the each falla.

-La música (the music): the music is a important, it is vinculate

intrinsically in the fallas. Is a important element that the powder. For

the day and for the night, you can listen the music, that it animate the

party in the wake up (despertà), pass street "passacarrers", the

offering (ofrenda) and more moments. Normally, the music that you

can listen is the double march traditionals, althought it incorporated

music modern and actually.

LA CREMÀ

The “cremà” is the most important day in the fallas. After building and mounting it, we reach the moment in which we have to burn the falla. It’s strange that we are going to burn all the work that we have done, but all the people love it. Besides this tradition is spectacular, a part of our culture and an attraction for the tourists. The best way to understand it is to see it. So come with us and enjoy it!

SCHOOL FALLAS

Once again, «fallas» is coming at school. All the people helps to

build the” fallas”. This spirit of teamwork is the best feeling you can

have. All the people are involved in doing the preparations, such as

the monument, the decorations and the fireworks. It’s time to say

good-bye to a long winter and to say hello to a waited spring. And it’s

the time to burn school works, too, as a fuel.

This year is the first year that our school has an infant monument

made by third and fourth stage of secondary school. The topic is

England and all about its landmarks, as for example the Big Ben.

Also, we have made a typical red bus called “double-decker” and the

red phone box, too.

We have enjoyed a lot preparing all the things for the fallas festivity

and we, all the school members such as teachers, students and

parents, hope that we will have fun with the celebration. We will share

the warmth of fire and we will wish the best for everyone.

The day when the “falla” is burnt is the most beautiful and rewarding day.

ELABORATION

In my school, the falla is elaborated by everybody. We all participate

in the elaboration of the structure, making figures, painting,

assembling, bringing materials, doing fences, and more.

We achieve to do such big fallas thanks to our teachers, because our

teachers enjoy building the falla in their free time, and not during our

lessons.

In the elaboration, it is used a lot of wood, newspapers, paints and

more materials, a lot of tools as staples, hammers, saws...are also

used. But, if you have the materials and the tools, but you haven't got

intention, you can't do anything. At this school, people want to work,

to think the design, to dedicate time, to do extra hours.

This year, 3rd and 4th of ESO are doing the falla infantil, what is new

this year, and the other students of the school the big falla.

This falla has a principal figure, which has a flag of U.K with the

geographical form of the country, with a fence and six bases with

figures on the top.

PLANTÀ

This day we put the falla in the middle of the playground to show it to all the people , we try to transmit happiness and illusions to the people and we have also a great party in the school and in the town.

Moreover people choose a doll of the falla for absorb and exhibit it like as a symbol of the party.

LA CREMÀ

The day of the “Cremà” is a special and happy day for all the people of the school , because this day represents the effort and the work in group of those who have participated.

It is also an important fun and entertainment day . People express their feelings together and they prepare an architectural masterpiece.

FIRST PERSON VIEW

· First of all I have to say that I have passed really enjoyable and

unforgettable moments building these fallas and that I have felt very

sad and proud because of the fire that everything leaves in the past

and everything opens for the future. This is my last course at this

school and I'm going out of it with the memory of all those moments

that I have lived in first person in which I grew up and which told me

that nothing lasts forever.

My journey started twelve years ago, when I had just started my

learning period as a little child. This year I broke my leg and I was quite

sad for the impossibility of moving around. I thought that anything

could make me feel happy. I was wrong. There, in the middle of the

playground was an enormous (from my point of view at that moment)

construction which resulted of the effort of all the school. There I was

with my patch, sat in my provisional sit, looking our Ocean falla.

The next falla I can remember is from 2005, which treated about the

music. I was impressed with what it could acquire and with what it

later would mean for me. The music can make everything look and

sound good.

Then in 2007, I can only remember the expectation of looking

directly to the eyes of a big dragon which almost could scrape the skies

with its horrible claws. It's easy to understand my fear because I was

only seven years old.

2010's fallas were memorable. I had a lot of fun with my friends

while we could enjoy the ambient of the history, the ambient of the

Ancient Egypt. We played around this magnificent falla with the

sensation that something was observing us. It was the mummy of a

pharaoh, which surrounded us with its look, telling us that he wasn't

still dead, that his last word hadn't been pronounced yet.

In 2011, the entire city looked at us. The Disney falla was amazingly

enormous. Its four huge towers showed the even bigger effort that we

all did for preparing the construction and its disappearing act. In the

burning up afternoon I could only see stupefied how the fire ate the

wood structure of the highest falla we have ever made.

Then, 2012 and 2013's fallas were also great but probably not as

beautiful as the previous ones.

Although the budget has been modified every year, our fallas have

been always grown up and have been done with the illusion of all the

students of the different courses and with the intention of doing

something beautiful, of making our voices and ideas transform into a

material thing and, above all, the intention of having fun with

something done by the students and for the students.

This year it won't be different, because whatever the topic is, I'm

sure that we will make our best and we will have fun anyway.

(Only read)