Cremà

The ritual of fire

Before an installation catches fire, organisers ignite a traca, which is a quick fuse strung with firecrackers, or launch modern pyrotechnics. The senior festival representative, known as the fallera mayor, sets off the initial spark for her commission. As the blaze spreads through the timber and paper structure, the surrounding crowd gathers to watch while singing traditional folk melodies. Because hundreds of figures stand across the streets, their destructions follow a precise timetable rather than occurring simultaneously. This scheduled progression is arranged according to competition results so spectators can witness multiple fires.

The festival in Valencia

Valencia serves as the historical birthplace of this tradition, staging the cremà on 19 March to conclude the Fallas festivities. Sculptures put up along public streets on 15 March are torched four days later. The evening begins at ten o'clock with the smaller figures built for children, followed thirty minutes later by the top-ranked youth entry. Adult displays ignite at midnight, with the champion of the premier category burning at twelve-thirty. Finally, at one in the morning, crowds assemble in the Town Hall Square to watch the municipal, non-competing sculpture burn.

Alicante and the banyà

A related version takes place in Alicante for the Bonfires of Saint John on the nights of 24 and 25 June, right after Saint John's Eve. Celebrations there launch at midnight from Santa Bárbara Castle and run across the city until four in the morning. Facing intense heat from open blazes during warm summer weather, onlookers plead with watching emergency crews to spray them with water. Firefighters respond by turning hoses onto the crowd, initiating a festive soaking tradition called the banyà.

How Cremà is kept

Events start when the appointed fallera mayor sets off fireworks or a fuse of explosive firecrackers above the structure. The figures burn in stages based on competition awards, beginning with youth creations in the middle of the evening and progressing to the main adult sculptures. Spectators sing regional songs while watching the flames consume the paper and timber. In Alicante, crowds shout at firefighters for relief from the heat, prompting a communal soaking with water hoses.

When and where

In Valencia, the burning occurs on 19 March to conclude Saint Joseph's Day, following four days of street displays. In Alicante, the bonfires burn through the late hours of 24 and 25 June, immediately after the eve of Saint John.

This practice belongs to the Valencian community in eastern Spain. It first took shape in the city of Valencia and is also widely observed in Alicante as well as several other regional towns.

Questions people ask about Cremà

See also

HalloweenAn annual observance on 31 October marking the eve of All Saints' Day, rooted in Christian tradition and Celtic heritageNowruzThe Iranian new year at the March equinox, kept with fire, greenery and picnicsHanamiA Japanese spring custom of gathering under blooming cherry trees to eat, drink, and celebrate the fleeting beauty of thImbolcA Gaelic festival heralding spring and honoring Saint Brigid with woven rush crosses

Good reading and sources

• Cremà on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-04.