The May Crosses of Burriana, a deeply rooted tradition, will be celebrated on May 15, 16, and 17. This festival, which transforms the city into the largest garden in the province, has recently been declared of autonomous tourist interest, highlighting flowers as the main element of its artistic displays.
For the third consecutive year, the Fallas commissions have approved moving the celebration date to the third weekend of May. This decision aims to avoid the high price of flowers during its usual date, allowing for the creation of large monuments without inflating the commissions' budgets.
“"Returning to the third weekend consolidates a change to continue enhancing the May Crosses and also allows the Fallas commissions to have more time for the elaboration of these unique artistic displays."
As a notable novelty in this edition, the city council has increased the amount of the May Crosses prizes and has created, for the first time, an economic prize for the best cross, both large and children's. This initiative was made possible by a credit modification approved in the last plenary session, aimed at boosting the Fallas prizes with an additional 3,000 euros.
With this budgetary reinforcement, prizes for large crosses have been increased by 1,300 euros and those for children's crosses by 1,000 euros. Direct economic prizes of 450 euros for the best large cross and 250 euros for the best children's cross have been established, with the aim of recognizing the artisanal effort of the commissions.
In addition, the budgetary modification includes direct reinforcement for the Fallas associative fabric, increasing the agreement with the Federation of Fallas by an additional 6,000 euros for the Falla Barri Sant Blai, equating it to the rest of the local commissions.
The May Crosses will maintain the same locations as the past Fallas 2026, as part of the city council's emergency plan. This measure, coordinated with the Local Police, redefines the festive map to guarantee evacuation routes and the passage of intervention vehicles, prioritizing citizen safety.
The origin of this tradition dates back to 1944, when the Fallas members of Burriana decided to plant floral crosses on May 3, commemorating the invention of the cross for Saint Helena. The first official document dates from May 1, 1944, a notification from the Mayor's Office that formalized the celebration. Since then, every year, a sea of floral monuments invades the streets of the town, with the carnation as the protagonist.
“"With the creation of these new economic prizes, we want to tangibly recognize the immense effort and dedication of our Fallas commissions. It is a way to incentivize excellence and ensure that the floral art of Burriana continues to shine with the highest quality, valuing artisanal work that is unique in the Valencian Community."
