Every year on the final days of the winter and the arrival of spring the city of Valencia has five days of fiesta, to celebrate the feast of Saint Joseph, day of the father in the whole country. It is a carnival of processions and fireworks and also importantly satire with Las Fallas.

Displayed on every corner all over the city are colourful ‘ninots’, giant papier-mâché figures often up to 30 feet tall or even more that have been paraded through the streets and then placed in fantasy groups to tower over excited spectators. Each one in some way satirises a political figure, or a soap star, or more exotic creatures from the movies, TV, sports idols, or simply imagination. Some of them are grotesque – others playful and charming – all are larger than life and up for public scrutiny.

For more photos just enter ‘fallas in valencia’ into Images in Google

Every day at 2pm firecrackers rip through the plaza in an noisy event called La Mascleta. This concert of gunpowder is very popular and involves different neighbourhood groups competing for the most impressive volley, ending with the terremoto, (literally means “earthquake”) as hundreds of masclets exploting simultaneously. While this may not be for the frail or faint-fainthearted, you may understand how the Valencians got their valiant name.

Another important event is the Ofrenda de Flores a la Virgen de los Desamparados, a beautiful ceremony every March 17 and 18, that honours Valencia’s patron Virgin.

Thousands of Falleras and Falleros arrive in the city from every corner of the province of Valencia, and take to the streets wearing traditional costumes and dancing to their neighbourhood or village bands, as they wend their way to the Plaza de la Virgen to offer bouquets to the giant image of the Virgin.

The Spaniards love processions and I’ll be writing of these and give you some images in another blog.

But what’s the relevance to Sir Walter Raleigh and cigarettes?

Well these ‘ninots’ cost many many thousands of Euros to produce.

What happens at the end of the festival after they have been judged and winners declared.

THEY BURN THEM!

Bearing on mind these are in the streets and near buildings this is just a little dangerous. I have seen them burning in our Valencian town of Denia, just yards from apartment buildings (although there was a fire engine just round the corner).

Health and Safety?

Bah. This is Spain. We’re macho.

And in June 2014 our little town of Javea produces its own fallas and quite impressive too

Javea Fallas 1

Javea Fallas 2