The Fallas are the most important festivals in Valencia. It is true that they arouse passions, but it is also true that a sector of the population hates them. Why do they raise such contrary reactions? Are there psychological factors involved?
Let’s assume that in Valencia there are falleros (those who belong to a “falla”, generally, from their neighborhood) and non-falleros, although these festivals can be experienced from both groups. In general, the falleros tend to have more devotion to these festivals. In this case, the feeling of belonging to the group plays a very important role.
They tend to be people who have belonged to that group since childhood, who spend many moments of partying with them, so it is completely logical on a psychological level that they relate going to the “falla” or the “casal” (a place where gather) with moments of happiness.
Furthermore, the fact of representing a group, a sector or a neighborhood generates pride and fosters this feeling of belonging to the group we are talking about, and makes the social need satisfied.
On the other hand, they are festivals that stand out for the noise, the music, being in the street… that is, with elements of joy and celebration. However, as we said, there are people who do not like them and who come to hate them. This can be due to many reasons: because they do not feel integrated into a group, because they do not belong to some falla or because the friends they have do and because for some of these reasons they feel alone, etc.
People who don’t like noise also tend to be against these parties. In this sense, Another important factor is the phobia of firecrackers (generally to loud and sudden noises), known as ligyrophobia, in the treatment of which we are specialists at Mariva Psychologists and which also affects the children of the house.
Closing cycles
Something that also draws attention, especially to people who do not know these festivals in depth, is let the monuments burn. However, this is something that makes these holidays more special, and the psychological factor involved is that of ending one cycle and beginning another.
In fact, if we think about it, It is something that we see in various human rituals (as in New Year’s or other cultural festivals) and that serves to try to end a stage and begin another, to which is added the factor of fire, which for many years has been understood as a form of purify, burn what we consider negative and start from scratch.
