La Fallas – Xativa Style El niño

Well, we have heard terrible stories about getting back from Valencia, so we decided to go to Xativa for our first visit to la Fallas. The first lighting was due to start at 9pm, with the lighting of the children’s fallas. We duly left home at 8ish, expecting huge crowds. We managed to park ok, on the outskirts of the town centre, and strolled into town. Although busy, there was no where near the level of crowds that we expected. Not knowing where to go, and no crowds to follow, we bimbled our way to the Town Hall.

Sure enough, by ¼ to 9 lots of people started to arrive. All the pretty Fallas Princesses arrived, and lots of photo’s were taken. It wasn’t too crowded, which was a great relief. Suddenly, someone started moving the barriers further back, and we found ourselves right on the edge of the goings on. Ed and I looked at each other, with the same thought… “were we now in the perfect position, or the worst one?” We had no idea, but stayed where we were. The man busied himself, and now we could see exactly what happens. A string of fireworks is wrapped around and around each fallas and an accelerant of some sort poured over it. The string of fireworks was then tied to a lamp post, right next to us.

As this was a children’s fallas, it was little by a young girl, in a beautiful golden dress. The lit wick was passed to her, and she lit the string. All hell broke loose! The firecrackers lit, leading to the fallas, and then round and round the sculpture. Flames, sparks and smoke everywhere. Fireworks took off and lit the sky, and the sculpture started to burn. Music was blaring away, and as parts of the structure fell, everyone cheered. In no time at all, it was well alight. The little girl was crying. It transpires that each fallas is made by a ‘club’ or social group and so much work goes into them, that the girls often cry, as a year’s work goes up in a few minutes.

As we stood watching it burn, we heard fireworks going off in different streets, as other children’s fallas were lit.