Alex Trelinski
VALENCIA’S annual Fallas celebrations came to a loud and fire-filled end on Sunday- the traditional last day of the event on the feast of San Jose.
The Crema de la Falla saw the burning of all of the well-crafted displays and papier-mache caricatures around the city, along with another spectacular fireworks display at the Plaza del Ayuntamiento.
After changes and cancellations since 2020 caused by the Covid pandemic, big crowds attended the festival boosted by the last two days falling at a weekend.
Speaking on Monday, Valencia mayor, Joan Ribo, said: “This has been a special year where we have fully restored the celebrations after all of the pandemic restrictions.”
“We have experienced a stupendous Fallas with splendid weather and we have been happy about the way everything worked,“ he added.
The mayor praised the behaviour of residents and visitors barring a violent homophobic attack on a member of a Fallas committee on March 11.
Government delegate to the Valencian Community, Pilar Bernabe, said there were ‘many more people’ in the streets of Valencia and surrounding areas on Sunday compared to last year’s final day.
She agreed with Ribo that people gave a good example of ‘co-existence and civility’ during the event.
The Cruz Roja said it treated 1,008 people during the Fallas fiestas with an additional 42 taken to hospital.
Almost two-thirds of cases involved fainting.
