NoMi eMagazine Issue 1 - March 2019 | Page 7

Mascletá Days

Being in Spain during the Fallas was incredible. We had the opportunity to get to know Spanish culture better and we witnessed first hand the importance that the Fallas have in people's lives.

The Mascletá is a wonderful part of the Fallas; the fireworks reminded me of our New Year’s Eve celebration. The noise was so intense that you sometimes felt that your heart was going to come out of your mouth.

When we went to Valencia or when we watched it on TV, we realized that the Mascletá is very important for the Spanish people. They live it so intensely that they happily go every single day to the city centre until the last day of the celebrations, just to watch 6 to 10 minutes of firecrackers exploding.

As for the Fallas, we were fascinated by the beautiful dresses that the Fallaeras wore and the breath taking sculptures we could see all around the city were simply amazing! Knowing that they were going to be burnt left us with mixed feelings, because they were so beautiful, but we came to understand that for them the burning of the fallas means new beginnings.

It’s really interesting that the Spanish people dedicate so much to Fallas. It takes them a whole year to create the sculptures and make them unique. Each sculpture depicts the theme of the festival and they are all very funny and colorful.

Living the Mascletá and the Fallas was magical. What an unforgettable experience!

Joana Faria and Miriam Pereira