Most countries celebrate history with festivals, occasions when people come from near and far to show respect and homage to someone or something important. learn spanish online is certainly no different, being a country that has long hosted colorful and meaningful festivities. We wanted to provide information pertaining to some of the better-known festivals coming out of Spain.

Las Fallas, Valencia

Considered as one of the most, unique festivals in learn to speak spanish, Las Fallas actually began as a day of feasting for the patron saint of carpenters known as St. Joseph. However, over time this particular festival changed into an incredible five-day celebration of fire. The city of Valencia is a beautiful but also quiet place in learn spanish online where approximately 500,000 people reside. During the five-day festival, this town explodes with activity and about three million people.

The name Las Fallas translates to “the fires”, which is the exact focus of the festival. This festival involves the building and then destruction of statues made form wood, plaster, and cardboard. These homemade statues are placed throughout the parks and intersections, hitting 350 of the primary tourist spots. Known as “ninots”, the statues are large and quite detailed. In fact, people take as long as six months to create these statues, some so large that cranes must position them.

Once the statues are in position, they will remain there until La Crema, the day of March 19. Then sometime in the early evening hours, holes are created in the statues, followed by them being stuffed with fireworks. Chanting can be heard throughout the streets, followed by the extinguishing of streetlights. The ninots are then set on fire at midnight. Las Fallas is fascinating but also controlled in that firemen, called Bomberos, allow burning while still protecting the beautiful city of Valencia. This particular ritual originated from pagans during the 16th century who celebrated the new spring when crops could be planted.