The origins of the Fallas Festivity goes back to an old tradition of the city's carpenters, who before the Festivity of their patron Saint Joseph, burned in front of their workshops, on the streets and public squares, their useless things and other wooden utensils they used to hold the candles that gave them light during the winter season. This is the reason why the night of the cremà (in which the Fallas monuments burn down) is always on March 19th, the Festivity of San José.

In the 18th century, Fallas used to be piles of combustible materials that where called "Fallas" and where burnt the night before the day of San José.

These Fallas evolved and acquired a more critical and ironic sense when showing in the monuments reprehensible social scenes.

Around 1870, the Fallas celebration was forbidden, as well as Carnival. In 1885 this pressure created a movement that defended typical traditions by awarding in the magazine "LaTraca" the prizes to the best Fallas Monuments. This competition, which began to be popular among different neighbourhoods, brought the creation of the artistic Falla, where critique was still an important element together with aesthetics.
In 1901 the Ayuntamiento de Valencia awarded local prizes to the best Fallas. This was the beginning of the union between the people and the political power. This relationship has greatly developed this popular festivity in its structure, organisation and size.
In 1929 the first poster contest for the promotion of the Festivities and in 1932 the Fallero weekend was established. It what then, when Fallas became the Mayor Festivity of the Region of Valencia. Today, more than seven hundred big and small Fallas are burned in the city of Valencia.

 

The opening of the Fallas Festivities starts with the Cridà, in which the mayer of the city, Rita Barberá and the stand in the top of the Serranos Towers and invite Valencians to enjoy the celebrations.

But really, the celebrations start in the beginning of the month of February. Since February 4th the Ninots, exhibition is open in the Nuevo Centro esplanade. There, the favourite ninot (ironic idea represented in a figure) will escape from the fire and become part of the Fallero Museum and become the ninot indultat (saved ninot).

From March 1st through the 19th, at 2 pm, in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, different mascletaes take place. It's a pyrotechnical act composed by a series of fire crackers masclets that explode according to a certain rhythm and end with a spectacular sound. After midnight, on March 15th, the plantà officially begins and all the Fallas monuments can be contemplated in the streets.

Between March 17 and 18, one of the most emotive Fallero acts takes place: the traditional flower offer to the Virgen de los Desamparados, where thousand of Valencians gather to offer flowers to the "Cheperudeta", the Virgin's popular name. These days, all Fallero Comissions march dressed up in traditional costumes to accompanied with music bands towards an enormous reproduction of the Virgin located in front of the Basilica (where the original figure stands). The Falleras leave their flowers and, with them, a colourful shawl for the big figure of the Virgin. The last one making her flower offer is the Fallera Mayor of Valencia.

On March 19th, the Cremà takes place. It's the moment in which the Fallas monuments are burned and transformed into ashes; is the high point of the festivity as well as the saddest because it's the end of Fallas.