Fallas, 2005

In March, we celebrated a version of "Las Fallas", held annually in Valencia, Spain.  During this festival, neighborhoods construct large towers representative of signifcant events/people from the past year.  Many are very intricate in design as well as meaning. 

The towers date back several hundred years to the time when carpenters cleaned out their shops after the winter months.  They would take the scraps and construct small statues.  Afterwards, they would burn them (after all, they were scraps of wood).  Today, the towers are constructed by professional artists...and, yes, they do burn them at the end of the festival.

Below are representations of our 'fallas'.  We had over 50 entries into our competetion.  Our celebration culminated in a judging ceremony and a feast of paella and virgin sangria.  Due to administrative cold feet, we were not allowed to burn our fallas.  We look forward to next year's entries (and hope to get permission to burn at least some of the fallas).

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