The ancestral tradition of fallas in the Boí Valley

In rural areas, popular festivals are closely linked to the agricultural, lunar, and solar cycles. Pulling fire, a symbol of the sun, from the mountain and bringing it down to the village has served since time immemorial to purify the fields and forests and protect the population from evil spirits. In the case of the towns that make up the Boí Valley, the Fallas festival has always been a deep-rooted tradition, linked to the worship of the sun, which serves to thank the gods for the harvests received and to scare away evil spirits. Thus, every year since ancient times, with the beginning of the summer solstice—but which currently coincides with the main festival of each municipality—the villages of the valley celebrate the Fallas, keeping alive this tradition passed down from generation to generation.

The fallas are torches made of resinous wood about two meters long, which are made with pieces of pine torch glued to one of hazel stick with wires and tips, although there are also those that are made of a single piece of pine worked to burn strongly and are calledbuzzardsThe youngest members of the village are responsible for preparing them a few days before bringing them down the mountain, lit with the typical fire corruas that we have seen more than once.

On the day of the fallas everything begins in thelighthouse, a high mountain spot that usually offers a great view of the village, where a pine tree and other trees are planted for a bonfire. This is where the fallas are lit before beginning the descent.

The fallaires, after dinner and when it is dark, light thelighthouseand, with it, their fallas, to bring them down to the town, where they are awaited with joy, music and celebration. There a large bonfire is made with the remains of fallas andbuzzardsthat have resisted the decline, and the starting gun is given for the party, which usually lasts all night.

The fault paths, which can be consulted on the websitevallboi.catThese are hikes worth taking at any time of year to discover the landscapes that capture this ancient tradition, so deeply rooted in the lives of the inhabitants of the Boí Valley. They range in difficulty and offer privileged viewpoints of this area.