Fallas Festival in Spain

Thursday 20 March 2014 17:50 GMT

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Satirical sculptures burn during the traditional Fallas festival in Valencia

In pictures: Fallas Festival in Spain

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In pictures: Fallas Festival in Spain

Spain

Satirical sculptures burn during the traditional Fallas festival in Valencia

In pictures: Fallas Festival in Spain

Spain

A statue of Moses 'falla' waits the beginning of the 'crema', the moment in which more than three hundred 'fallas' starts to burn, celebrating Saint Joseph's night during Las Fallas Festival at Town Hall square in Valencia

In pictures: Fallas Festival in Spain

Spain

Ninots burn on the last night of the Fallas Festival in Valencia. Fallas are gigantic structures made of cardboard portraying current events and personalities in which individual figures or Ninots are placed. The Fallas are burnt in the streets of Valencia as a tribute to St Joseph, patron saint of the carpenters'guild

In pictures: Fallas Festival in Spain

Spain

Some firemen wet the trees near a Moses statue 'falla' of Town Hall square for the 'crema', the moment in which more than three hundred 'fallas' starts to burn, celebrating Saint Joseph's night during Las Fallas Festival at Town Hall square in Valencia

In pictures: Fallas Festival in Spain

Spain

Some 800 'ninots' depicting politicians and other well-known public figures are burned by members of competing groups or 'falleros', who have spent the previous year creating and building them

In pictures: Fallas Festival in Spain

Spain

Every year the city of Valencia celebrates the ancient fiesta, a noisy week that is full of fireworks and processions in honor of Saint Joseph

In pictures: Fallas Festival in Spain

Spain

Each neighbourhood of the city has an organized group of people, the Casal faller, that works all year long holding fundraising parties and dinners, usually featuring the famous dish, paella, a specialty of the region. Each casal faller produces a construction known as a falla which is eventually burnt. A casal faller is also known as a comissió fallera

In pictures: Fallas Festival in Spain

Spain

Although the Falles is a very traditional event and many participants dress in medieval clothing, in recent years the ninots included such modern characters as Shrek, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Lady Gaga

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In pictures: Fallas Festival in Spain

In pictures: Fallas Festival in Spain

Spain

In pictures: Fallas Festival in Spain

Spain

In pictures: Fallas Festival in Spain

Spain

In pictures: Fallas Festival in Spain

Spain

In pictures: Fallas Festival in Spain

Spain

In pictures: Fallas Festival in Spain

Spain

In pictures: Fallas Festival in Spain

Spain

In pictures: Fallas Festival in Spain

Spain

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