After gaining fame in Valencian territory, the mascletá has spread to new latitudes. Controversy is involved. Madrid and Burgos, which have already held their celebrations this year, will soon be joined by Valladolid, another municipality that has decided to complete its series of celebrations with a tradition more specific to the Levante. And just like in Madrid or Burgos, it will do so amidst a commotion as loud as, or even louder than, the pyrotechnic display for which it has already reserved 150 kg of gunpowder. There are those who question its compliance with the Pucelana tradition and warn of the harm it will do to animals and people sensitive to noise.
The fuse will blow on Sunday night.
A poster with news. July 25 was an important day in Valladolid. The City Council, under the presidency of the mayor, presented the program of the Fair and Festivals of Our Lady of San Lorenzo, an event full of surprises.
In addition to the manifesto, concerts, gastronomy fair, clubs and a unique Guinness record, the organization decided to focus on fireworks shows with eight fireworks sessions and “two new features” throughout the week. The first, on Saturday the 31st, was a drone show with 300 devices. The second, reserved for this Sunday as a finishing touch, will be a “night mascletá” with fireworks, in which 150 kg of gunpowder will be used.
Is the mask pucelana? Exactly the same. The bet was one of the new features of the program and was emphasized by both the City Council and the institutions that carried out the presentation. With everything and despite maskle As Valladolid is more associated with the Valencian Community, it will not be the first city hall in the centre of the peninsula to decide to include a city hall in its 2024 celebrations.
At the beginning of the year, José Luis MartÃnez-Almeida decided to celebrate with more than 300 kilos of gunpowder in the capital, reviving a temporary tradition of the early 80s in Madrid. The same thing happened in Burgos at the beginning of the summer. During the Sampedros festival.Burgos Post Office He assured at the time that the gunpowder display had returned to the city “after many years.”
“There will be serious consequences”. The Valladolid mascletá will have more in common with those of Madrid and Burgos than the lavish gunpowder display. Like the two previous examples, this spectacle was accompanied by critics who questioned it for its lack of roots and, above all, for the discomfort it would cause both for the animals and for the most sensitive populations to noise.
“It will have serious repercussions on the health of people with acoustic hypersensitivity and autism spectrum disorders, as well as boys, girls and patients with chronic diseases,” Jonathan Racionero, a member of the Valladolid Take the Word (VTLP) council, said days ago. The Pucelano councillor insisted that the pyrotechnics would also cause “serious harm” to pets and wild animals.
“As a Castilian it seems to me”This statement comes from Jesús Colás, partner at SEO organization Birdlife, who recently shared: Country Concerns about the mascletá organized by the Pucelano City Council. Note that the setting chosen for the show is close to a hill and is the nest of birds of prey.
“We’ve seen some buildings hit during fireworks because they were running away,” he warns. Beyond the impact, he admits that “as a Castilian” it seems like “nonsense” to him. “Maybe Valencia has something like that.”
Beyond ValladolidThe controversy around gunpowder displays and the disturbance they cause to people with acoustic hypersensitivity or autism spectrum disorder, as well as to both domestic and wild fauna, goes far beyond Valladolid, the community of Castilla y León, and even Spain.
Elsewhere in the country, parties that feature fireworks or are held on “ethical grounds” have already been suspended. In Switzerland, there is ongoing debate about their disappearance, in Argentina a collection of signatures that was on track to reach 190,600 was activated a few years ago and in Belgium, the use of “silent” pyrotechnics is being considered.
Organized, safe and short. Things look different in the Valladolid City Council. Tourism councillor Blanca Jiménez recently countered the criticism, arguing that the city’s mascletá would be a “regulated and safe activity” that would differ from the traditional fireworks display by only “a few minutes” of noise. “We all accept that these are special days and that it is common for restrictions to be lifted”, emphasizes the Tourism Councillor.
He thanks the people most sensitive to noise and their families for their “generosity” and insists that the loudest noise of the mascletá will only last “three or four minutes”. Regarding the lack of roots, he says Valladolid has a “universal vocation”. “People appreciate diversity.”
Pictures | Premsa Ajuntament de Torrent (Flickr), Santiago López-Pastor (Flickr) and Keith Ellwood (Flickr)
In Xataka | More and more towns are facing the debate over whether to have fireworks or not. Galicia has started to cancel them
Source: Xatak Android
Ashley Johnson is a science writer for “Div Bracket”. With a background in the natural sciences and a passion for exploring the mysteries of the universe, she provides in-depth coverage of the latest scientific developments.