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Travel -
Spain
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This is the day that the Catholic faith celebrates San Jose (Joseph). Although the carpenter had nothing to do with the paternity of Jesus, the Catholic Church sainted him because he had raised Jesus as his own. The celebration in Spain was chosen to replace the pagan celebration of the Spring equinox with the result that 19th March is celebrated as Father’s Day (Dia del Padre). The Valencian community construct giant papier mache sculptures to celebrate this fiesta which are set alight at midnight.
Dia del Padre is celebrated in the Valencian community with Fallas being constructed and burnt at midnight. The fallas came about because carpenters would make tall candle stands to give them enough light to work through the winters nights. Since Dia del Padre coincided with the coming of Spring and the brighter nights the carpenters no longer needed these stands making a bonfire with them and all the wood shavings to celebrate the fiesta. One day someone added a “guy” type likeness of his neighbour to the bonfire as a joke. Soon people were adding models of politicians and famous characters. In time the bonfires were abandoned and only the fallas remained. Fallas manufacturing is now a multi-million Euro industry. Las fallas are made of papier-mache on a wooden carcass. It is then sanded and painted.
Las Fallas literally means “the fires” in Valenciano. The most impressive examples can be seen in Valencia and more locally in Denia. Read about more spanish fiestas here
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