Spain welcomes spring in fiery Las Fallas festival
A festival of food, floats and fire in Valencia, Spain has drawn to a close. Alicia Acuna has the highlights on a celebration honoring Saint Joseph, the patron saint of the carpenter’s guild.
A festival of food, floats and fire in Valencia, Spain has drawn to a close. Alicia Acuna has the highlights on a celebration honoring Saint Joseph, the patron saint of the carpenter’s guild.
Each year the city of Valencia, Spain welcomes spring by literally and symbolically burning down the past in the Las Fallas fedtival. To an outsider it might seem sad or wasteful to torch such beautiful artwork -- called fallas.
For valencians, this is a deep and wonderul moment of letting go. The flames begin in the town square, with the destruction of the festival's official falla.
There's also a different kind of scene to take in, one much more solemn and emotional.About 100,000 people in traditional costume, march to offer 60,000 bouquets to the virgin of the foresaken.