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A Guide to Fiestas in Mallorca Spain
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Spain is well known for its fiestas and celebrations and Mallorca is no exception. The islanders celebrate the national holidays and have a few traditions of their own. One of the most popular is in May, a re-enactment of the battle of the Moors and Christians when the Christians regained control of Mallorca.
Not all fiestas are based upon religion, many have their roots in pagan traditions. Throughout most fiestas there is always an emphasis on food, with fiestas like the one in Sant Joan in October which has a roast feast to celebrate winters arrival. |
In addition to the regular festivals there are many other days held in ancient sporting festivals and local competitions and meetings. Other popular fiestas are the Santa Catalina Tomas, who was Valldemosas patron saint, and the Festa de Sant Sebastia with its merry go rounds and procession.
Most of the fiestas have exhibitions with local dancers, "El ball de bot" being a popular traditional dance, and singers, all in traditional costumes, with parades in traditional and fancy dress as well as many other side stalls and attractions. Family life is very important in Mallorcan culture and these fiesta days are a chance for the family to socialise together and maintain the old traditions.
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- January 1 : Sant Joan - Feast of the Circumcision
- January 5 : The Three Kings celebrations begin. The main fiesta is in Palma, with many other towns and resorts having their own. Local children leave there shoes outside the window filled with food for the kings. The following morning they wake up to find the food has gone and in its place is a present.
- January 6 : Traditional Three Kings mass and celebrations.
- January 16 : The fiesta of 'San Antonio Abad' : Here is the "Dance of the Devils" to portray the temptations that Sant Antoni was able to ignore. This is celebrated in Sa Pobla, Arta, and Sant Joan, as a local holiday. Other villages still celebrate, even if it is not a holiday.
- January 17 : The Sant Antoni Festival is celebrated throughout Mallorca. After a mass in honour of Sant Antoni the local people take their pets to the local church where they are blessed.
- January 20 : The fiesta of 'Sant Sebastia', joint patron of Palma, is celebrated in Palma and throughout the island.
- January 21 : Santa Agnes - local fiestas.
- February : Carnivals are held throughout Mallorca with fairgrounds, stalls, dancing and live music.
- February 3 : Sant Blai - Sant Joan villagers are anointed with the holy oil of Sant Blai. This is to ward off sore throats.
- February 12 : Santa Eulalia - local fiestas
- Shrove Tuesday : a strange festival-the burial of the sardine. A mock funeral, including mourners and a horse drawn hearse, ending with the sardine, which has been paraded around the village, is thrown onto a large funeral pyre! This is followed by a night of drinking and celebrating complete with a large plate of sardines off the BBQ.
- Easter Week : Known as 'Saints Week' or Semana Santa with fiestas throughout the island starting Easter Friday. There are traditional processions as well as a Pollensa celebration known as the 'Davallament' and others in Palma known as the 'Pancaritat' and Fiesta of the Angel.
On Easter Sunday in Porto Cristo there is a procession held called the "Encontre" or Encounter. This represents the reuniting of Mary with the newly risen Jesus, her son.
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© Copyright 2005-2008 AroundMallorca.com | All Rights Reserved
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- April 2 : Sant Francesc - local fiestas
- April 5 : Sant Vicenc de sa Cala - local fiestas
- April 23 : Sant Jordi - local fiestas
- May : Second Sunday of the Month, the Festival of the Moors and Christians re-enacts the battle between the Christians and the Turks.
- June 13 : Arta - Sant Antoni de Juny
Pollensa - Ball de les Aguiles - fiesta of Corpus Christi.
- June 24 : Muro - fiesta of Sant Joan
Sant Joan - Festa del Sol que Bailla.
- June 29 : Palma, Puerto Alcudia - festival of Sant Pere
- June 30 : Marratxi - Romeria de Sant Marcal, market and exhibition of traditional ornaments and "siurell."
- July 2 : Alcudia - Romeria a la Virgen de la Victoria.
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© Copyright 2005-2008 AroundMallorca.com | All Rights Reserved
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- July (15) 16 : The fiestas of 'Verge del Carme' begins with a night time mass followed by a procession where the locals carry a statue of the virgin, the patron of fishermen to the port where the statue is taken on board a highly decorated boat and taken out to sea. A following of local fishing boats and tourist yachts, all festooned with banners and decorations, follow it out to sea, Making it a colourful and traditional scene.
- July 25 : Sant Jaume - local fiestas throughout the island.
- July : Last Sunday of the month, Fornells - local fiestas
- July 28 : Valldemossa - Santa Catalina Thomas
- August 2 : Pollensa - Ntra Sra dels Angels, re-enactment of the battle of the Moors and the Christians.
- August 10 : Selva - Sant Llorenc
- August 23 & 24 : The festival of 'Sant Bartomeu'.
- August 28 : Felanitx - Sant Agusti
- August 29 : Sant Joan - local fiestas
- September 3 : The fiesta of 'Procession of the Beata' is celebrated in Santa Margalida, to celebrate the day that a nun, Catalina Tomas, was blessed in heaven by the pope.
- September 21 : Bunyola - Sant Mateu
- September : Last Sunday of the month, the day of 'Festa des Vermada', which means harvest, is a celebration local to Binissalem. After the harvesting of the grapes a rocket is fired and the young villagers follow a drummer and piper to a field where a massive grape fight begins!
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© Copyright 2005-2008 AroundMallorca.com | All Rights Reserved
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- October : First Sunday of the month, the fiesta of 'Torrada d'es Botifarro' or Fiesta of the Black Pudding is held in Sant Joan. where Butifarrones, slices of pork and sobrassada are roasted on BBQ pits. Traditional dancing and special exhibitions are held.
- October : Third Saturday of the month, Palma - Santa Catalina Tomas 'La Beateta '
- Dijous Bo : Inca - popular fair
- November 30 : Santanyi - Sant Andreu
- December 24/25 : Over more recent years families have started to celebrate Christmas including the traditional Santa Claus.
- December 31 : New Years Eve celebrations plus in Palma 'l'Estandard', to honour the Christian conquest of Palma in 1229.
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© Copyright 2005-2008 AroundMallorca.com | All Rights Reserved
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- 1st of January - New year
- 6th of January - Feast of Epiphany
- 1st of April - Maundy Thursday
- 2nd of April - Good Friday
- 1st of May - May Day
- 25th of July - San Jaime
- 15th of August - Ascension Day
- 12th of October - National holiday
- 6th of December - Day of the constitution
- 8th of December - the "Inmaculada"
- 25th of December - Christmas Day
- 26th of December - Boxing Day
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