• March 1940 First offering

  The origins of this tradition date back to Francoist Spain

  , in the 1940s. Apparently that year the *

  Fallera Mayor* and the festival representatives spontaneously decided to go make a small offering to the Virgin (patron saint of Valencia) on Saint Joseph’s day.

• March 1941 The Clabariersas’ offering

  Inspired by the previous year’s offering, some clavariesas, followed by local girls dressed in farm clothes and mantillas, left flower bouquets to the Virgin in the Basilica.

• March 1945 Official offering

  The tradition grew and cemented itself so much that in 1945 it was incorporated as an official act of Fallas.

• 1949 First Ofrenda in the square

  That year, the Ofrenda had to be moved outside the Basilica due to the large number of participants.

• 1965 Two days of Ofrenda

  Again to accommodate the growing number of people, authorities decided that the offering should be made over the course of two days (17th and 18th of March).

• 1987 First Virgin statue

  The Junta Central Fallera commissioned José Azpeitia to build the first Virgin bust to be decorated with flowers. This tradition has since been upheld, and the flowers form a new colourful tapestry on the Virgin’s gown every year.

Religious sentiment

This really is the only religious event of an otherwise non-religious festival - one that is arguably of pagan origin. Even though the offering remains religious at its core, many people simply go to honour a tradition and enjoy the atmosphere of joy and great emotion. The spectacle of the Virgin’s gown being completed also attracts a large public regardless of their religious inclinations.