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THE TOWN FIESTAS.- MOORS AND CHRISTIANS and CARNIVAL - photographs taken by Billie Cook in the 70's and 80's

www.memories-of-javea.com

Fallas and Ninots - A tableau, (falla) made out of wood and plaster, is the traditional way the fiestas are celebrated, by burning the effigies on the final night. The ninots (figures) surround the main feature and are nearly always caricatures of town officials or something within the town that is portrayed to satirise the event. Unfortunately, the text on the title boards is in Valenciano.

This makes the irony of the comic notices beyond the understanding of outsiders.

On March 17th every year the fiesta of Saint Joseph (San Jose) is celebrated in Valencia with the burning of 350 fallas in key intersections in the city - more information on

www.spanishunlimited.com

The days of the Town ( June ) and Port ( September ) are filled with parades, music and fireworks. In that respect they are exactly the same as the 1970's, when these pictures were taken. The fiesta dresses have become more elaborate and the girls prettier, but smoking and chewing gum are still the favourite ways of relieving the days exhaustion

Left - typical modest float with fiesta girls in the 1970's.

Right - Now the floats are fantastic, The Javea girls, each with a dress more beautiful than the next. The hair arrangements must be to an exact style with jewellery and shoes also traditionally perfect to complete the picture.

A few of the wonderful Spanish faces of the Javea girls over twenty five years ago

Photographs for us are wonderful, the girls forever remain young .

CARNIVAL

Fiesta in February. Th children of Javea parade through the town

with their teachers and parents

Boys and girls in the band - the music played during the fiesta is very traditional. Year after year the exciting atmosphere of the Fiesta is enhanced by the musicians of Javea and aurrounding towns, of all ages.