My Life in Valencia

March 19 is an important day in Valencia, and also in my life. It is the last day of Fallas, also known as el Día de San José, the Day of Saint Joseph. In Spain, and in other Catholic European countries, this is Father’s Day. St. Joseph was known as the patron saint of fathers and was a carpenter. In Valencia, Fallas celebrates the arrival of spring. This tradition is rooted in an old carpenters´ tradition when they would burn all of the old pieces of wood that held up their lights for the winter. This has grown into a huge tradition that comes to its climax on the 19th with the burning of all the Fallas, known as La Crema. The burning of the Fallas helps chase out the cold of winter and usher in spring. What takes a year to plan, design and, in some cases a week to build on site, takes merely minutes to burn everything to ashes. For four to five hours there are fires all across Valencia until all the Fallas are gone. And then, by midnight, everything is done and life goes back to normal. It’s as if Fallas never happened and spring has begun.

For me, personally, March 19th is also the anniversary of my own Dad’s passing. This year marked three years. Hard to believe. In many ways it feels like just yesterday. It also marked my three year anniversary of moving to Valencia. As I have said before, the universe works in mysterious ways. The profound significance of all of these coming together on March 19th is not lost on me. I have come to make this my own day to celebrate and honor Dad.

One of the most cherished traditions of Fallas is the Ofrenda de las Flores. For two full days prior, on the 17th and 18th, Falleros and Falleras from all over Valencia come to the Plaza de la Virgen bearing flowers. There, in the centre of the Plaza, waits this enormous wooden scupture of the Virgen Mary. One by one the Falleras bring small bouquets of flowers in different colours to decorate her and blanket the whole plaza with large flower bouquets in their Fallas´ names. It takes two full days to decorate the Virgin Mary in all her glory. By the morning of the 19th she is finally decorated in a beautifully designed pattern of flowers which differs every year. These past three years, in honour of my Dad, I have developed my own tradition of bringing flowers and laying them at the bottom of the Virgin Mary on the morning of March 19th. It’s not a big gesture, but it is a way for me to memorialize him and give thanks to all that he gave me over the years. I am not a religious person, but I have to say this is quite a special moment for me and very emotional. Dad would probably not love all the pomp and circumstance….he might even be embarrassed by it, but I would like to think that he is looking down and smiling.

As you also know, this last year has been particularly difficult for Valencia with the floods (known as the Dana) in the last part of 2024. All of Fallas this year centred quite a bit on the Dana and the solidarity of the people coming together to help those in need. As you will see in an upcoming post, many of the Fallas had Ninots representing the Dana in some way. The Ofrenda of Virgin Mary was no different. You will see in the photos that the back of the Virgin Mary is decorated in the colours of Spain/Valencia and on the other, the Province of Valencia is represented in blue to mark the floods. In the middle, a hand of solidarity of the Spanish people coming together. Decorating around the bottom of the Virgin Mary are buckets, shovels and brooms covered in mud, with a sign that says ¨Voluntarios Dana, Gracias¨ representing and thanking the thousands of volunteers who came to help those impacted by the floods. Valencia will never forget.

A belated Father’s Day to all Fathers out there. And a special one to those who are no longer with us. You are forever here in spirit with us and we love you all!