The holiday which is always with you. If Hemingway had known Valencia better he would probably have devoted a chapter in his book to it. Valencia has always been famous for merry bright life. Nowadays organizing holidays is really profitable and well-to-do in Valencia. So people like making holidays there.
The most important holidays in Valencia are Fallas and corrida. Fallas is the most respectful. It is celebrated everywhere from the capital up to the resorts of Alicante and Castellon. Fallas is held at the beginning of spring at Lent. This holiday is an original combination of pagan traditions and Christian rituals. It is a magnificent carnival with fire-works, folk music and colourful show. The central element of Fallas is platforms for grotesque sculptures made of cardboard called “ninot”. These sculptures have been made all the year round. At night between the 18th and the 19th of March on the eve of St. Joseph’s Day they are brought along the streets of the city in order to be burnt at a fire. This ceremony symbolizes the process of cleaning from vices and is the final part of the holiday. Some of the sculptures escape burning by people’s voting.
Corrida in Valencia is organized regularly. It is not “the killers’ kind of sport” now. The bulls are not stabbed to death but are exhausted nowadays. We may debate which is more humane but corrida is a part of Spanish culture which is honored in the country.
The main corrida of the community is held in the city of Valencia on the arena of Plaza de Torros for 16000 spectators. It is timed either to Fallas or to great annual fair which is held in June.
One of the luxurious holidays of the community is a festival called “Moors and Christians”. It is an analogous to Fallas magnificent procession but of the other cause and with other decorations. During Fallas the Valencian people celebrate the liberation of Spain from Arab dominion. Besides processions the festival “Moors and Christians” is famous for the great performances of the battles having occurred more than 700 years ago. The festival is held in some places of the province. The most famous is considered to be in Alcoy.
Valencia is well-known as the place of curious and funny events all over the world. They organize curious festivals and contests. For example, every year at the end of August we can watch on TV lots of happy faces with tomato juice on them. This happens in Buniol near the capital of Valencia. At the end of summer they organize there Tomatina festival and the competition of tomato throwing.
Every year in September there is a programme on TV showing brave men running in front of the furious bulls. This happens in Segorbe where the citizens celebrate Semana de Torres or the Week of Bulls’ Racing. In this city just in the narrow streets of it everybody can engage in competition with these animals.
Every year brave men in Denia in the province of Alicante compete with brave men of Segorbe. In Denia they do not only take part in running competition together with bulls. They also jump into the sea and dive together with them. The holiday is called Bous a la Mar. It is held in August.
The holidays in Valencia are a nice medicine against spleen and you do not need a prescription. So do not take real medicine. Just spend more money but the effect will be great. You will get rid of depression forever if you have a chance to travel to Valencia. You are welcome to the country of permanent marry-making. You are welcome to the country where they spare neither vegetables nor fruit for a good party. You are welcome to the country where people still adore bulls’ fighting. You are welcome to the country of Valencia!
