Incendiary Commentary: The Ninots of Las Fallas, Valencia
Ninot titled: “De Aquellos Polvos Estos Lodos” (From Those Dusts These Sludge) by artist Paco Giner, designed by Paco Camallonga.
Fire burning, people swarming
The train ride from Madrid to Valencia is a quick two hours. Racing through the Spanish countryside, we arrive in Valencia at 9:00 am on March 17th; the festivities have already begun. Boom, boom, the ground shakes as we exit Joaquín Sorolla train station. We decide to walk closer to the center for breakfast, unknowingly approaching the electric mayhem.
A fiery tradition in Valencia, Spain, called Las Fallas is held annually from March 1 to 19. Festivities happen throughout the day and night, including firework shows like the grandiose and explosive Nit del Foc on March 18, which uses between two to 4.5 tons of gunpowder, and parades such as La Ofrenda and Mascleta. On March 19, the burning of freestanding doll-like figures called ninots, La Cremà, makes the city a chaotic playground that reflects upon social and political realities of the day.
Large firework show on March 18 lighting up the night sky for about 20 minutes during the Nit del Foc.
La Cremà before and after El Corazón (The Heart) was burned, decorated with flamingos, oranges (a symbol of Valencia), and a whale. Artists: Manolo García & Marina Puche.
A welcome to Valencia like no other
Walking for a quick ten minutes through Valencia, we encounter a city that is teeming with excitement about the celebration. Small marching band parades of ten to fifteen people in black and navy blue suits play their tunes as we dance along. Men and women called falleros and falleras, respectively, walk through the streets carrying banners depicting organizations such as Comissió Infantil, which organizes children's events and activities during this celebration, and Fallas Neutres Sostenibles, which advocates for sustainable and ecologically sourced materials of the ninots.
Marching band participants playing traditional Valencian music.
Falleros and falleras in festival attire carry banners of organizations.
For Valencian women and girls, traditional costumes are radiantly colorful, floral, silk-skirted dresses with high heels and elaborate rodetes (wheel-like braids) hairstyles with gold clips. For men and boys who almost resemble pirates, they too wear lively colors of red, green, yellow, and blue with floral patterns on satin vests, sandal shoes with straps that wrap up their legs, pantaloons, and headscarves.
Valencian falleras in festival attire.
Children run around through the parades and streets, giggling while lighting off firecrackers at every turn. Watch out! They may throw one at your feet. No one bats an eye or even flinches… except for me and my friends, who are also American students. Every time a firecracker would explode, making that god awful loud sound, I would jolt to a stop and my heart would pound rapidly. This was a recurring scary feeling for me and the people I was traveling with; we were used to being on high alert for gun violence. The loud noises were reminiscent of a shooting or bombing - a horrific and saddening reflection of the reality of living in the United States.
Remains of used fireworks found in an abandoned area.
History of Las Fallas
Las Fallas began in the 15th century as an old carpenter’s tradition to celebrate both the patron saint of the carpenters, San José, and the first day of spring. As daylight increased leading up to March 19, carpenters would burn pieces of wood called parots that were used to hold lanterns during the winter. Over time, people would add rags and old belongings to the fire, which gave the wooden structures human-like features.
Today, honoring past traditions, Valencia puts a modern spin on this festival. The colorful and vibrant ninots, costing upwards of $75,000 to make, are satirical and often reflect current political figureheads and events. The ninots, some standing as tall as 98 feet, are made of combustible materials, such as wood, papier-mâché, or white cork, and then painted to bring them to life. UNESCO has declared this event as part of the “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.”
Burning symbolism
Las Fallas is the perfect example of powerful symbolic social and political commentary through burning. Like most of Spain, many Valencians practice Christianity. For Christians, the burning is a prolific and powerful symbol that symbolizes divinity, renewal, and purification. Burning relates to the spiritual energy that lives amongst us in the universe, hence an eternal burning flame or fire used during the festival. This is the positive viewpoint for the playful ninots that depict scenes of animals such as hippos and parrots, or fairytale characters dancing. The burning ninots are symbols of rebirth, the transition from winter to spring, old to new, and a symbol of celebration.
Depictions of animals including reptiles, parrots, flamingos, and hippos. Artist and title unknown.
“Valencians in Dance” by artists Ceballos and Sanabria, depicting children and adults dancing flamenco.
However, burning is also a symbol of Hell and destruction for Christians, illustrated by ninots that depict current controversial socio-political events and political figureheads. Las Fallas is the optimal opportunity for such discourse. Political figureheads such as the American President Joe Biden, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un were included this year along with Spanish leaders like current Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and the abdicated King of Spain, Juan Carlos I.
Superpower ninots
With President Biden’s ongoing challenge to deal with other nuclear powerhouses, such as Russia, and his strong advocacy for nuclear arms control, this ninot depicts Biden as resolute and feisty. With a nuclear symbol pendant draped around his neck, and Biden positioned as a boxer with his fists up as if to say, “ You want to fight?” or “Come and get it!” he may be looking to shape relations with another country such as Iran in order to limit the spread of such weapons. Sorry, Joe! Thanks for your help, but you are getting burned.
Depiction of President Biden. The hearts read, “Love and Hate Drop of Fire” and “Joe, 80 years old looking for an atomic relationship.” Artist and title unknown.
Unsurprisingly, another common ninot depiction was of Vladimir Putin, who has led the Russian invasion of Ukraine, murdered opponents, and suppressed minority rights. The list of Putin’s abuses is exhaustive, making him the perfect candidate for criticism. The main critique of Putin this year at Las Fallas was about the war.
Standing in front of a coffin that says “Drets Humans” (“Humans Rights”), Putin holds his position as an authoritative and oppressive leader who has killed the fundamental freedoms of his own citizens and Ukrainian citizens. His blood-splattered bib reads “Fill de Putin” (“Putin’s Son”), a common phrase found on the Putin ninots that most likely alludes to the childlike behavior within his actions, but could also be interpreted to be a play on words for “son of a bitch” in English or “hijo de Puta” in Spanish.
Satirical ninot depicting Vladimir Putin. Title unknown, by artist Mario Cardells.
In this example, Putin holds a bloody butcher knife and a salt shaker, smiling mischievously and keenly eyeing a dead duck with an olive branch, representing peace, hanging on by a thread atop a Ukrainian oil tank, a reference to the Ukrainian economic resources that Putin has claimed, without international support, belong to Russia. Squashed by the weight of Putin and the oil tank, a hand reaches out from below holding a sign with a small dove carrying an olive branch in its beak. The sign reads “La PAU mundial està en crisi, per personas com ell. Tot li dona igual, només l’importen els diners” or “World peace is in crisis, because of people like him. Nothing matters to him, all he cares about is the money.” A skull lies next to the oil tank, representing the Ukrainian death toll of Putin’s war.
Another special ninot goes one step further to hammer the message home of Putin being a child by actually illustrating him as a child. Standing naked on a marble pedestal with puppy eyes and a melancholic expression, he looks above, almost asking for forgiveness, though I can’t figure out what Putin is holding in his hands. Additional text on the pedestal links Putin with Hernán Cortes, the ruthless conquistador most known for his conquest of Mexico. “Inti-Mides,” meaning intimidate, and “Gotes de foc,” meaning “Drops of Fire,” rest upon a tan nuclear missile. Putin hopes to undermine anyone that opposes him and uses intimidation tactics to maintain strict power. The “drops of fire” are the firing of firearms. Putin, you cruel child, you deserve to burn.
Ninot making a mockery of Putin portraying him as a child.
Satirizing Spanish politics
Not even past kings of Spain are safe from the savvy ridicule of the ninots. Juan Carlos I, past abdicated king of Spain, most notably defended democracy in Spain when he refused to support a military coup in 1981. However, he was quite the scandalous monarch, having fled to Abu Dhabi in 2020 after accusations that he received $100 million in bribes. He helped to secure a contract for a Spanish consortium to build a high-speed train line in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and also allegedly used a secret credit card for personal expenses linked to a Swiss bank that was not listed in his tax returns. The ninot depicts him in traditional mariachi attire, strumming a guitar with a crooked smile and singing “El Rey,” or “The King,” a song by José Alfredo Jiménez. One of the main themes of the song is pride. The singer acknowledges he has faults, but believes he is still worthy of respect and admiration. The theme is then juxtaposed with Juan Carlos I standing on two sacks of money with €500 bills falling out. One can’t help but laugh because of the irony that is pictured. Spaniards clearly feel some fishy and negative attitudes towards Juan Carlos I because innocent people don’t flee the country, do they?
Ninot of Juan Carlos I. Title unknown, artist Vicente Herrando.
Screeching and hollering as he sits inside a scorching “Average Spaniard”' cauldron, Pedro Sánchez, the current Prime Minister of Spain, along with his Vice President, Yolanda Díaz, face criticism for being the cooks of “Masterpet,” or they are the “Masterpets” who are “preparing the food for a feast.” Many Spaniards have criticized Sánchez for being too lenient with his handling of Vox, a far-right political party known for its sexist, racist, xenophobic, and homophobic views. This ninot depicts Díaz and Sánchez as the cooks fueling the feast that is the eruption of a backwards Spain if they do not strictly condemn Vox and all it represents.
Ninot of Pedro Sánchez, Prime Minister of Spain, in a blistering cauldron. Title and artist unknown.
Puppet Masters
Possibly the most powerful ninot of them all depicts the conniving relationship between Putin and Kim Jung-un. The sinister ninot articulates the delicate power of world domination and destruction held in the hands of these two tyrannical leaders. Putin stands above Kim Jung-un with his hand threateningly placed on a button that reads “Game Over,” signifying Putin’s large nuclear weapons arsenal. His impish smile almost taunts viewers of his grandiose power. A pin that says “I voted for Trump” mocks Putin and Trump’s “brotherly” relationship. Putin “voted” for Trump because Putin knew he could deceive Trump in hopes of getting the U.S. off his back. Trump fell into Putin’s meticulous trap and believed his deceitful lies of not invading Ukraine. But, we know to never try to make friends with the enemy. Trump was played like a puppet by Putin, made to think that Putin could be trusted, and that they were “buddies.”
Ninot of Vladamir Putin and Kim Jung-un as a destructive pair. Title and artist unknown.
On Putin’s top hat with a KGB star, rats with guns are seen looking about in a grim manner. The message here is that the rats are his followers who support him in maintaining his dictatorial power.
With a gun in his holster like Putin, Kim Jung-un stands next to a nuclear boiler that reads “Official Filter” on its side and has a gauge that reads “fuck news.” The logos of social media sites like Instagram and TikTok are being sucked into the “Official Filter.” Kim Jung-un holds a knock-off Jack Daniels whiskey bottle, but instead the logo says “Official News Russian and Korean News Whiskey.” Both of these countries’ leaders are spreading propaganda to their citizens, including ideas about the importance of nuclear weapons, to ensure their submissive cooperation.
These two dictators have an amicable relationship as well. With a struggling economy, Russia has provided economic assistance to North Korea, particularly in the form of oil shipments. Overall, Kim's relationship with Putin is based on mutual interests and pragmatic cooperation, but this ninot reveals the dynamic to be more destructive.
Socio-political reflection
Las Fallas is a reflection of Valencian history and of international socio-political events and people, past and present. This incendiary event not only creates an ecstatic and charged environment for Valencian residents and curious travelers, but it also calls for reflection on the world in which we live in through the charismatic, satirical form of ninots. For the stories and commentary they tell, the power is held in the ninots.