If you’ve secretly harboured the dream of setting things on fire, yet do not want to end up behind the bars, the finale of Las Fallas (which literally means "the fires" in Valencian) is your answer. It is a flamboyant, fiery, not to mention smoky fiesta that celebrates the flaming of life-size satiric figures. Orginally a feast day for St. Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters, has slowly evolved into a more breath-taking gala which is burning hot.

The week-long spectacle of processions, fireworks, music and dancing never fails to attract more than three million of part-time pyromaniac to the small city of Valencia in Spain.  —Photos by Agencies/Text by Alisia Pek