Falles of Alzira facts for kids

Mascletà in Falles of Alzira.

The Falles or Fallas of Alzira is a big celebration in the town of Alzira. It honors Saint Joseph every March. Just like the Falles in Valencia and other towns in the Valencian Community, it's a very special time.

The Alzira Falles are super important. They have a long history, are very popular, and many people take part. There are lots of "fallers" (participants) and "commissions" (organized groups). About seventy falla monuments are built in the streets! Because of its importance, the Falles of Alzira are known as an Event of National Tourist Interest.

A falla is a huge art piece or "monument." It's made from materials that can burn, and it shows a specific scene. The most important parts are the ninots. These are cartoon-like figures, often made from papier mâché.

The Falles in Alzira are managed by a group called Junta Local Fallera. In 1989, they celebrated 100 years of this amazing event. A special leader from the Valencian region, Joan Lerma, was there for the ceremonies.

What Happens During Falles Week?

The Falles party officially starts in early March with a ceremony called La Cridà. The main celebrations happen during Falles week. This week has a clear schedule of exciting events:

Building the Monuments: The Plantà

• On March 16th, it's the Plantà. This is when the falla monuments are built. They must be finished before a jury comes to judge them. If a falla isn't ready on time, it can't win any prizes.

Awards and Offerings

• On March 17th, there's an awards ceremony at the town hall. This is where the best falles are recognized.
• On March 18th, it's the Ofrenda. This is a beautiful event where people offer flowers to Our Lady of Lluch. She is the patron saint of Alzira. After this, fallers parade through the streets in the evening and into the night.

Dancing and Burning: The Pasodoble and Cremà

• On March 19th, the Pasodoble takes place. In the afternoon, all the "commissions" (groups of fallers) parade. They dance the pasodoble through the streets of Alzira. A jury from the Junta Local Fallera judges the dances. They give a prize for the best one.
• At night, the Cremà is celebrated. This is when the falles monuments are burned in the streets. Fireworks light up the sky before the burning. The Fallera Major (the elected "first lady" of each group) lights the fireworks.

Daily Traditions

• On March 17th, 18th, and 19th, each commission meets early. At 8 a.m., they have the despertà. This means walking around their neighborhood and setting off small firecrackers.
• Right after, they have a typical breakfast at their casal (meeting place). Then, the fallers walk around, visiting other casals until lunchtime.
• At 2 p.m. each day, there's a big fireworks show. This is the famous mascletà. It happens in the Plaza del Reino, and huge crowds come to watch.

Amazing Art: The Falles Monuments

The falles monuments often make fun of current events or important issues. They can be very tall, sometimes 25 or 30 meters high! They are made of many papier mâché ninots held up by a wooden frame. Lately, some artists use styrofoam (EPS). This makes the falles lighter and their colors brighter. Signs written in Valencian explain what each scene means. They often do this in a funny or critical way.

Many skilled people work on building the falles. These include sculptors, painters, and other artists. Commissions hire them to create these amazing works. The falles are put up in the streets on the night of March 15th. This day is called the Plantà. Nowadays, building the falles starts several days earlier. This is because they are so big and need cranes to put them together. The monuments are all burned on the day of the Cremà.

Joining a Falles Group

Members of each commission choose which "section" they want to join. Sections are groups of Falles that compete against each other. The goal is to have a fair competition. Monuments with similar artistic quality compete together. Which section a commission belongs to depends on how much money they plan to spend on their falla. A section can't have more than ten monuments. If too many groups want to join one section, the ten groups spending the most money get to be in that section.

Traditional Clothing

Wearing the right clothes is a big part of the Falles celebration. There are specific outfits for men (faller) and women (fallera).

What Fallers (Men) Wear

A faller should wear one of these traditional outfits:

• The costume used in Alzira since 1968: black trousers, black socks, and black shoes. It also includes a short black jacket, a white shirt, a white shirt front, and a colorful sash. The sash has tassels that hang over the left trouser leg.
• The torrentí costume.
• The saragüell costume.
• A costume with long striped trousers, a silk or linen shirt, a waistcoat, a sash, and black shoes with black socks or espadrilles with embroidered socks.
• It is not allowed to wear ties, flowers, or bows with these costumes.

What Falleras (Women) Wear

A fallera should wear one of these traditional dresses:

• The formal Valencian farmer's dress. The fallera's hair is styled in three special buns. This dress should be worn with great care and respect.
• The 18th-century costume. The fallera's hair can be styled in one or three buns.
• The typical regional dress from the Huerta de Valencia. The fallera's hair is styled in one bun.
• No clothing or decorations that are not traditional are allowed. Espadrilles (a type of shoe) are only allowed if they are covered with the same fabric as the costume.

The blusón (a checkered shirt) is not a traditional Valencian clothing item. It can only be worn during private parties of the commissions.

Special Outfits for Fallera Majors

• The current Fallera Major (the main "queen" of the entire Falles festivity) and the Fallera Major Infantil (the "junior queen," who must be 14 or younger) are very special. They are the only ones allowed to wear the "Alzira model" costume. They also wear combs with the town's coat of arms or the Junta Local Fallera's symbol.
• These rules are checked by a group called the General Assembly. They work with clothing experts to make sure the outfits are proper and traditional.
• The traditional sash with the colors of the Spanish flag is a special sign for the Falleres Majors and Falleres Majors Infaltils. This applies to both the main queens of the festival and the queens of each commission.
• Members of their "courts of honor" wear a sash with the colors of the Valencian flag. This sash has the badge and name of their commission sewn onto a white background on the blue part of the sash.

See also

In Spanish: Fallas de Alcira para niños