Even a few centuries ago local residents praised the city's patron saint and celebrated the long-awaited arrival of spring. As a rule, such celebrations were accompanied by entertaining folk festivals and lots of delicious food. Traditionally, during the celebration people were encouraged to burn unnecessary old items. First of all the locals got rid of old candlesticks and various kinds of stands. They became simply unimportant as the duration of daylight increased because of spring.
Modern holiday has changed a lot and it has got many new traditions and customs. Nowadays chandeliers are not widely used and many people simply cannot part with their belongings easily, so during the modern festival are burnt huge figures made of papier-mâché. Skillful masters work for several months over their creation. During the festival these huge figures and beautiful compositions can be easily seen in every district of Valencia. On the last day of the festival, when darkness falls on the city, both locals and visitors gather in the city’s squares in order to watch the ritual of burning these figures.
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