The Fallas of Valencia, Spain

The Falles is a traditional celebration held in commemoration of Saint Joseph in the city of Valencia, in Spain. The term Falles refers to both the celebration and the monuments created during the celebration. A number of towns in the Valencian Community have similar celebrations inspired by the original Fallas de Valencia celebration.

Each neighborhood of the city has an organized group of people, the Casal faller, that works all year long holding fundraising parties and dinners, usually featuring the famous dish, paella, a specialty of the region. Each casal faller produces a construction known as a falla which is eventually burnt. A casal falleris also known as a comissió fallera.

Mike the Headless Chicken Days

A Headless Chicken?

Yep, there actually was a chicken that survived being beheaded for dinner. Here is a section of Mike’s Wikipedia’s bio:

“Mike the Headless Chicken (April 1945 – March 1947), also known as Miracle Mike, was a Wyandottechicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off. Although the story was thought by many to be a hoax, the bird’s owner took him to the University of Utah in Salt Lake City to establish the facts of the story.”

A Little More Detail Please

“On September 10, 1945, farmer Lloyd Olsen of Fruita, Colorado, United States, was planning to eat supper with his mother-in-law and was sent out to the yard by his wife to bring back a chicken. Olsen chose a five-and-a-half-month-old cockerel named Mike. The axe missed the jugular vein, leaving one ear and most of the brain stem intact.

Despite Olsen’s failed attempt to behead Mike, Mike was still able to balance on a perch and walk clumsily. He attempted to preen, peck for food, and crow, though with limited success; his “crowing” consisted of a gurgling sound made in his throat.^[2]

When Mike did not die, Mr. Olsen decided to continue to care permanently for the bird. He fed it a mixture of milk and water via an eyedropper, and gave it small grains of corn.”

Mike went on to fame and fortune (for his owner, anyway). He became a regular on the side-show circuit and at the height of his career, he brought in over $4,000 per month.

In 1947, while on their way back home, they stopped for the night in Phoenix and Mike passed away.

The people of Fruita decided to honor their famous former resident by starting an annual party. They have entertainers, frisbee golf tournaments Cooking contests, and one of my personal favorites, peep eating and chicken wing eating contests (of course I won my section of the wing contest one year, so I’m partial to it), They also hold a very cool car show, with the cars lined up along one of their main streets so everyone can check them out.

The festival is always held the third weekend of May. There is a nice hotel on the outskirts of town and the citizens of Fruita are very welcoming

Fruita, Colorado is located along I-70 and is about 5 miles west of Grand Junction.

You can find the official web page at http://www.miketheheadlesschicken.org