I can't lay claim to having done all the necessary research on this subject. The following article was lifted from another Internet page but it was an obvious translation from Spanish into English. The author had not only made a number of spelling and grammatical errors, but indulged himself in some tortuously long and flowery sentences where the meaning quite lost itself. My contribution, therefore, was to clean this mess up and make it readable! There are still a few words that have defied my best attempt at translation.

Valencia, the Mediterranean city per excellence, overflows with gaiety, energy and fireworks during the celebration of its Major Festival: the Fallas.

From the 13th to 19th of March, this regional capital on the river Turia celebrates in tremendous style, one of Spain's best known and emblematic festivals.

The Fallas are creations of papier-mache, wood and wax, which the townsfolk of Valencia build in the streets and burn on the night of the feast of St. Joseph. These figures, called "ninots" by the Valencians, allude to events and personalities of the day. The ninots, half satirical, half symbolical, are created in a style somewhere between comic strips and Walt Disney cartoons.

The figures  represents a whole year's work for hundreds of people, are burnt on the night of 19 March in towering flames, and each bonfire is a temple devoted to this colossal festival of fire.

For one week the Valencians and their visitors are both spectators and participants in a great spectacle and theatre. The tourist influx and the international coverage of the Fallas grows every year.

When man discovered fire he stood marvelling before such a strange phenomenon. From that time he has used fire to overcome the darkness of the night, to cook food, to defend himself from enemies, and even as a means of communication. There are many human rituals in which the principal element is fire. In Spain, on the nights of St. Joseph, St. John and St. Anthony, these saints are honoured by the burning of huge bonfires.

There are various theories on the origin of the Valencian Fallas that have tried to place this popular festival in time. This is not a simple matter as there is hardly any documentary evidence. There are three theories worthy of closer examination, these are: Vicente Salvador's theory, that of pagan sun-worship  and the theory of the "Ninot" in the middle of Lent. The first two agree that the celebration of the Fallas began in the Middle Ages.

Vicente Salvador suggests that the origin of the Fallas can be traced to the time of the medieval guilds. On the night of St. Joseph the carpenters' guild used to light a bonfire in honour of the saint. In the fire they burnt the standing pole on which they had kept their lamp during the winter - the 'Estai' - and the sweepings from the workshop. With the passage of time, however, matting and various old pieces of junk were added. The custom of burning an effigy in the blaze is introduced some time later. Feuds between the different workshops provoked the creation of grotesque figures which represented business rivals, for the purpose of allowing everyone laugh at them. The effigies were thrown onto the fire together with the old pieces of junk.

The second theory that harks back to sun-worship and merely suggests much earlier origins of the festival. Lighting bonfires in honour of saints may be traced to pre-Christian (pagan) festivals and these were 'Christianised' into the calendar rather than simply trying to stamp out the original (highly popular) festival. This second theory leads into the other recorded medieval origins

The theory of the 'Ninot' effigies being burned in the third week of Lent ties in with accounts from the 17th century, when effigies tied to a stake were burnt in the market place. It would seem that early examples of these represented Mohamed and may have more than a little to do with the Arabian conquest of Spain. This act brought together a large number of townsfolk who celebrated the burning. Oddly enough, the historic conflict between Christians and 'Moors' is the subject of many fiestas in Spain.

The first written testimonies of the Valencian Fallas date from the middle of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth. The important facets of the Falla festival were now not only the fire and the effigies …the entire town formed part this splendid spectacle. This Fallas have enhanced Valencia's position as one of the most entertaining cities in Europe.

The Fallas are divided into seven important stages. Public enthusiasm ensures that Valencia is adorned in festival garb and everybody takes to the streets. The ceremonies which take up the whole week of the festival are: the nomination and proclamation of the Queens of the Fallas for the year, the Exaltation, the 'Crida' (a word in the dialect of Valenciano that translates as "a public appeal to raise money"), the Cavalcade of the 'Ninot' effigies, the Offering of Flowers, the "Planta" and the "Crema".

The Exaltation is, with the Offering of Flowers, one of the most colourful moments of the Fallas. The Valencian townsfolk and the various institutions pay homage to the Falla Queens …who receive their sashes and jewels of office in the 'Palau de la Musica'. As the Attendant Courts of the Falla Queen and the Falla Princess go up to the stage, the place begins to fill with baskets of flowers donated by Valencian people and a few Spanish collectives. One of the most important figures at the Exaltation is the chairman, who represents the world of culture. The chairman makes a speech to all those present. The speech reaffirms the tradition of the Fallas and can also be political and even poetic.

For the Offering of Flowers to 'Our Lady of the Forsaken' Valencia is all dressed up in its finery and pays homage at the feet of her patron saint. The ceremony makes offerings of thousands of bouquets of flowers, baskets of posies and floral shrine
arrangements. During the twenty-four hours which the Offering lasts, the Virgin, fondly referred to by the Valencians as "Geperudeta" (I have not turned up a translation for this), receives her tribute. On this day, the appellation of Valencia as 'City of Flowers' becomes reality, and the Basilica square is turned into a beautiful and colourful garden, with more than thirty tons of flowers decorating just one of the principal squares of the city.

The "Planta" is the ceremony that everyone longs to begin . On 15 March the papier-mâché effigies are assembled, with a great deal of effort, in the squares and streets of Valencia. Hundreds of these Fallas invade the city, as many as there are houses to make them. On this day the creations of the "fallero artists" are displayed (the work of hundreds of specialists: carpenters, painters, scultors, designers, etc). The effigies and 'Ninots' are admired by both the Valencians and the tourists. The Fallas show off their lively colours and enormous size, and it becomes obvious which personalities have been the focus of public opinion and attention. There are few Spanish politicians who escape from the satire of the "fallero" masters.

The "Crema" is the culmination of the Fallas. For some it is the saddest moment, while for others it is the high point of the festival. On the night of the feast of St. Joseph (19 March) the Fallas are lit. The last effigies to be devoured by the flames are those Fallas that have been awarded prizes by the General Fallas Committee and those in the City Hall square. By popular vote, only one "Ninot" is saved each year, from the flames, and exhibited in the Museum of the Ninots together with those from earlier years that have won the same privilege.

Many kilos of fireworks surround the monuments. At about midnight Valencia goes up in flames. The spectacle of the fire and noise, produced by more than three hundred fires spread throughout the city,
is quite something to see.