30·3·2010

This fallas were absolutely great!
Fallas are a Valencian traditional celebration (celebrated in March) in honor of Saint Joseph. In this celebration the artista fallero designs the falla of one neighborhood (a falla is also the monument created by the artista fallero). A falla is a kind of monument made by paper, wood, cork… and in this monument the artista fallero criticizes something about the politics, sports, music… of the Comunitat Valenciana or the country. These monuments are fitted in some neighborhoods and villages of Valencia the 15th of March; this act is called la plantà. After this day the Comissió fallera give a prize to all the fallas. There are a lot of seccions (they are categories) and only 3 fallas, of each category, win. The 17th and the 18th is the ofrenda a la verge dels desamparats. The falleros go to La plaza de la Virgen an offer flowers to the Cheperudeta (Valencia’s Virgin). The 18th night is La nit del foc. This night the pirotècnics (a person who makes fireworks) fill Valencia with a lot of fireworks; it’s a lovely night. After the fireworks there are a lot of parties. Finally the 19th is la cremà, the last day of Fallas. This day fallas are burned.
This year my falla, Falla Gilet (The falla of my village), won the first prize of the second and the third secció. The big falla was in the third category and the small falla was in the second. My falla compete with the fallas of Sagunto, Puerto de Sagunto and Faura (another village near of mine). In Valencia the falla Convento de Jerusalem won the first prize of the special category (the most beautiful and elaborate category). Honestly I think that this falla wasn’t the best, my favorite falla was the falla El Pilar. This year, in my opinion, the monuments were uglier than last year, well… because of the crisis, I think. I passed the most part of my time this fallas going to Valencia. I went to Valencia everyday because I like to listen to the mascletà, I like to see the monuments (specially the monuments that compete in the secció especial), I like to go to the parties at night and I love La nit del foc, so this year I didn’t pass so much time in my falla, but I went to have lunch in my casal everyday.
I enjoyed the fallas a lot this year and I want to enjoy this celebration next year as well.
Now I have already started my lessons at university. It’s hard to start again after fifteen days of holidays but now I have to make up all these hours that I have spent enjoying myself.
Now we have Easter holidays, but I think I won’t go anywhere, because I have spent a lot of money in my travel to Bristol and at Fallas, however I think I could enjoy my Easter (although I won’t go to a camping with my friends).