Staff Reporter
THIS year’s Fallas and Magdalena fiestas in Valencia and Castellon will be normal school days.
The Valencian government this week announced the cancellation of the holidays to prevent large gatherings of people for alternative festivities, given the still very high COVID infection figures.
All official celebrations for both events had already been dropped as an early precaution.
Regional president Ximo Puig declared yesterday (Thursday February 25) that, until there is a ‘massive’ vaccination or immunity rate among the population, fiestas are off the cards.
Puig also revealed that the Generalitat will contact each individual town hall throughout the three provinces to ask them to cancel all school leave for the Magdalena or Fallas.
Although the announcement is expected to raise some hackles, not least of all the students’, it aims to end a dispute between different authorities about what to do on these days.
While some insisted that the holidays should be maintained to give the kids a break, parents highlighted the problems of having children off school while they have to work.
The regional Minister of Health, Ana Barcelo, added that she plans to meet Castellon city council next week to lay down the ‘red lines’ that must be obeyed during the Magdalena, scheduled this year from March 6 to 14.
