The amazing thing about Las Fallas is that encompasses so many aspects of the local culture. Businesses hold massive paella gatherings, friends and families reunite for spectacular celebrations and dinners, and the streets are alive with tourists, music, and fireworks. The same thing happens in schools, too, where children participate in the development of school fallas. Since the competition of the fallas is integral to the experience, there is a voting and burning of the fallas that are not the “best.” Components of the fallas that are judged as significant and impressive are saved for posterity, continuing the tradition for the upcoming years and fallas.
My friend Natalia, who is a teacher at a local school, was tasked with creating part of a falla depicting China. Her part was a dragon that would be overlooking the entirety of the specific falla, and she asked me to help. Using two long and narrow cardboard boxes, she and I crafted a dragon that we are both very proud to display with the rest of the amazing artwork by both students and other teachers.
Last Thursday, there was an open house to share these creations for students and their families, and the results were nothing less than spectacular. Kids and parents, running around and making lots of noise, drinking chocolate and wearing traditional shirts and other clothing. See for yourself… this was a lot of fun!
El dragón, complete with an illuminated pearl of wisdom in its teeth, overlooking China. Good to know that my arts-n-crafts muscles still work! While you can’t really see it here, paint, sequins, glitter, and a whole lot of time went into this nifty creation!
Very cool. Looks like it was a great experience for you too making one of these fallas!
Hi, Stephen! I was thinking of you the other day… how is your planning process going? Yeah, it was a whole lot of fun, and a great deal of laughter. Exactly the way creativity should work!