November might be known as the month of fireworks in the UK, but even on the Costa del Sol it is possible to celebrate Guy Fawkes Night at various venues in Marbella, Estepona, San Pedro and Nueva Andalucía as the British community throws its doors open to lovers of pyrotechnics. Not surprisingly, local Spanish residents do not share the British enthusiasm for commemorating the prosecution of this Catholic renegade but, unlike the British who tend to confine their enthusiasm for fireworks to November 5^th and New Year’s Eve, the Spanish embrace just about any other opportunity to set off a bombardment of industrial strength rockets. Although it dates back to seventh century China, the Spanish can quite accurately be said to have perfected the spectacular firework display; certainly no community event is complete without an elaborate, colourful and meticulously choreographed show of explosions.

While the British think of the winter and its long nights as representing the best opportunity for lighting up the sky with Catherine Wheels, Roman Candles, flares and sparklers, the first great Spanish firework extravaganza occurs in Valencia in March. The fallas is famous as the greatest fireworks display in the world, with hundreds of thousands of colourful explosive devices being set off over five days and nights every year. The origin of this amazing spectacle can be traced to the seasonal fires that carpenters held to dispose of the broken pieces and offcuts that they had accumulated during the winter. The historical evidence of this can still be viewed in the magnificent ninots (or massive wooden caricatures depicting celebrities and politicians), which are created annually by the city’s talented craftsmen and are later ritually burned to the accompaniment of enormously powerful firecrackers. A visit to the fallas is highly recommended, but the Spanish love of fireworks can just as easily be witnessed at local feriasfrom one end of Málaga province to the other as each town tries to outdo its neighbour.