The Failures of Valencia

It is a celebration of Valencia that begins on March 15 until March 19.

Origin: On the eve of St. Joseph's day, bonfires were lit to announce their holiday, receiving
that ritual practice the name of cremà. The popular version of the origin of the failures,
were initiated by the guild of carpenters who burned on the eve of the day of their
patron Saint Joseph, in a purifying bonfire, the old shavings and junk, making cleaning
of the workshops before spring enters. In addition, they burned their parots (structures
that hung the lamps that gave them light) since with the end of winter and the arrival of
spring, and by becoming longer days, they were no longer necessary. According to this
theory, popular inventiveness gave these parots a human form. This romantic legend of
the origin of the party contrasts with the documentation preserved in the Carpenters
Guild, which does not cite the construction of failures on its eve, but the religious
holiday of March 19 itself.

Elements of the Party:

 The Fallera Central Board: The Fallera Central Board is the body that regulates
and coordinates the feast of failures both in the city of Valencia with the
commissions of each fault, as well as with the District Boards. The Fallera
Central Board is responsible, for example, to make the election of the Fallera
Mayor of Valencia, to choose the best failures of all categories.
 Fallero Artists: The Fallero Artist performs the Falla, but there are also Fallero
Artists who do secondary works such as the production of floats and decorations
for shops, stores and fairs. These belong to the Artisan Guild of Falleros Artists.
 Falleras Commissions.
 The Falla: They usually have a satirical character on current issues. The faults
usually consist of a central figure or composition several meters high, the largest
exceeding 30 meters, surrounded by numerous figures of cardboard, clay, stone,
polyurethane, supported by a wooden frame.
 Pyrotechnic artifacts.
 Traditional clothing:
o The fallero must wear:
  The suit consisting of long striped pants, silk or thread shirt, vest
and girdle, with black shoes and socks or labrador espadrilles
with embroidered socks.
 The use of ties, flowers and ties of any gender is expressly
prohibited.
o The fallera must wear:
 The Valencian Labrador gala outfit, with three ribbons, must
observe the greatest decorum in her dress.
 The use of any piece of clothing or ornamentation other than
those traditional and proper to the suit is not allowed. Only the
use of espadrilles is allowed if they are lined externally with the
same fabric of the corresponding skirt suit.
 Music: Fallas commissions hire over 300 bands to accompany them to any of the
fallero events.

False Acts:

 The Crida: it is celebrated on the last Sunday of the month of February and is the
act in which the Fallera mayor of the city, gathers at the gates of the city, the
Serranos Towers, to all the failing commissions and makes a call, to the
initiation of the celebrations.
 The Ninot.
 The Mascletá: This act takes place every day at 2:00 p.m., from March 1 to the
19th. Mascletá's name comes from that of a type of firecracker, the masclet. It is
one of the acts most valued by the Valencians.
 The Collection of Prizes.
 The Night of Cremá: La cremà is the closing ceremony of the holidays. It
consists of the burning of the fallero monuments planted in the streets of
Valencia and in their localities on March 19. The act is preceded by a fireworks
castle, lit by the Fallera Mayor and the President of the Commission.