Chapter 4: Identity and Intercultural Communication-Identities are Influenced by Society
Through my time in the city of Valencia, Spain, it was hard not to become a part of the society and feel like you belonged. This was because of one very special festival Valencia has each year in March called "Las Fallas". During this festival, young girls are dressed up in ornate dresses and parade around the city, sculptures are burnt to flames in celebration, and fireworks light up the city during the day and night. The preparation and time that goes into the festival is immense. You can feel the sense of pride and togetherness in the city during the weeks before the festival and of course during. They create an identity for themselves, which is formed by society. Specifically, the different neighborhoods or "fallas" are created and come together for individual parties and dinners. The neighborhood that our apartment was in actually invited us into their Falla tent where we were able to eat and dance with the locals. They were so welcoming and wonderful to us. The society I was in at that moment and during my entire time abroad certainly shaped my identity as a person. I consider myself someone who knows so much about Valencia, I feel like a true Valenciano. The history and tradition that goes into Las Fallas each year shapes the Valencian's identity as a society, and it certainly shaped mine when I experienced it for the first time last March.
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