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La Cremá

I arrived in Valencia on 19 Mar, which is the day of La Cremá (the burning). This is the final day of the most insane festival I've ever seen, Las Fallas (the Fires). All over the city (a place as densely populated as Brooklyn), people are throwing firecrackers everywhere. Marching bands are playing, and huge professional fireworks displays are shot off in the middle of the city. (I had to wear earplugs the entire time.) On every major street corner, these elaborate momuments of paper maché are constructed, and usually are ironic social commentary. More importantly, at around midnight, these monuments (which cost anywhere from $10,000 to $300,000 to build) are set on fire, to much applause and jubilation.