La Cremà is the fiery, spectacular conclusion to the weeks-long festival of Las Fallas. On the night of the 19th of March, the 766 monuments which had been placed around the city just days before, are set aflame. We went to see the fire at Convento Jerusalén.
Watching one of the large monuments burn is memorable. An act which combines melancholy and renewal in equal parts, la cremà is something that stays with you for awhile.
It’s hard to believe that Valencia’s citizenry would spend millions of dollars, investing a year’s worth of work for monuments that are displayed for mere days and then destroyed. What’s the point?
La Cremà is an act of cleansing, of beginning the year anew. One can easier forget things past, when the symbolic embodiment of them is laying in ashes at one’s feet. This, I think, is the point. Spring is here. Last year was turbulent, and there were a lot of things to celebrate, reminisce on and even ridicule — the latter of which, many ninots did a savagely good job of. But spring is here, and it’s a new year. Dry your eyes, little fallera. It’s time to move on.
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