Find yourself swept along by the atmosphere of a traditional fiesta and you will get a completely different picture of Mallorca. Most are religious in origin and a few date back to the time of the Christian conquest. Every town and village has its saint's day, whose eve (revelta) is marked by a verbena, a street party with music, dancing, fireworks and fancy dress. Battles are acted out between devils and heroic women, or Christians and Moors; people prance about as horses, and a good time is had by all. For more information during your stay in Mallorca, visit the local tourist information office to find out what is on. Public transport is very good and well linked, especially in the holiday resorts.
January
5 Jan Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos Three Kings Celebration
The fiesta of the oriental kings (Els Reins) is celebrated in memory of the three wise men that brought gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus. Even though the fiesta of the kings is on 6 January, it is on the 5th that they visit all the places around the island and hand out gifts. The city of Palma has the main fiesta, but many resorts, villages and towns have their own version. Children leave their shoes, containing food for the kings, and next morning the food has been replaced with a gift.
16 & 17 Jan Sant Antoni Abad
Sant Antoni Abat is the patron saint of animals and jobs connected to rural life. This day is held as a local holiday in Arta, Sant Joan and Sa Pobla, with processions of floats. Other areas also celebrate this popular fiesta even though it is not a holiday and in many villages, domestic animals are blessed in the local churches. In the evening bonfires are lit in the towns in honour of Sant Antoni, who is the patron saint of animals and the dance of the devil represents the temptations that he could not resist.
20 Jan Festes de Sant Sebastia, Joint Patron of Palma
In Palma, a variety of recreational activities is held in honour of its patron saint. In the evening bonfires and barbecues are held in the streets and squares where sobrassada and botifarrons (sausages) are roasted and this is followed by an impressive firework display. The saint is also celebrated in other villages and town, such as Pollenca, where els cavallets dance on this day.
February
This is Carnival month in Mallorca and includes live music and dancing, as well as fairgrounds.
3 Feb Sant Blai
This event takes place in Sant Joan. To ward off soar throats, the local villages are anointed with the Sant Blai holy oil.
Final week before Lent Darrers Dies (the last days)
This carnival, also known as Darrers Dies (the last days) in reference to the last days before Lent when Christians are allowed to eat meat, is celebrated 40 days before Easter. It is a mix of games and processions of decorated floats and takes place in Palma and elsewhere on the island. On the Thursday before the beginning of Lent, people appear in fancy dress and you can often hear ximbomba (friction drums) being played. The Rueta is a procession for children in fancy dress and the Rua is the chance for adults to show off their costumes; the streets fill with music and the whole town is taken over by dance.
In the village of Son Carrio, on Shrove Tuesday, a very different fiesta takes place; the burial of the Sardine is an imitation funeral with four men carry a sardine as if it were a dead person, while musicians play funeral hymns. The Sardine is paraded around before being tossed onto a large funeral pyre. The origin of this burial lies in the way the Jews teasted the Christians when the latter had to begin lent. In Son Carrio, the funeral ends at the town square, with a celebration of live music and dancing. A sizeable portion of barbequed sardine, salad, coques (Mallorcan pastries) and wine is offered to all those who attend this fiesta.
March /April
Semana Santa Holy Week
Throughout the island, the preparation for Easter begins on Easter Sunday. Panades (pies), robiols and crespells (traditional sweetmeats) are made and eaten. To recall the events of the Passion of Christ, the celebrations begin with palm and olive branches being blessed at churches across the island before being taken home to adorn front doors. During this week, there are processions every day in Palma.
On Maundy Thursday the biggest procession take place, usually followed by colourful parades through the streets at night. In Palma, the solemn La Sang procession takes place, during which a representation of the crucified Christ is carried through the streets to remind worshippers of the meaning of Christianity. In Sant Llourenc, the carapunats, or hooded penitents, organise themselves into four brotherhoods: each has its own characteristic form of dress and a float or statue which takes part in the procession and refers to the brotherhood's name. These include La Dolorosa (which represents the Virgin Mary on witnessing the death of her son), El Sant Crist (an image of Christ on the cross) and La Veronica (which refers to the episode in the bible when Jesus meets Veronica and she wipes away his sweat and his face becomes imprinted on her veil. These floats are kept in the parish museum throughout the year.
On the evening of Good Friday, to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ many Mallorcan churches enact scenes from the Passion; the crucifixion, death and Jesus' descent from the Cross, when he is placed in his mother's arms to be carried to his tombs. These Descents are very popular and in Sant Llorenc it is performed by a young people's theatre group. In Porto Pollenca, there is a celebration known as Davallament and in Porto Criso, a procession called The Encounter is held to symbolise the rejoining of Mary to her risen son, Jesus.
Sunday after Easter Diumenge de l'Angel (Angel Sunday)
Many towns celebrate pancaritats or romeries, pilgrimages to local shrines. Since 1998 in Sant Llorenc, there has been the tradition of a procession up to Son Vives, which is a farm closely linked to the legends surrounding the town of Sant Llorenc. After lunch, the townspeople climb up in a procession behind a carriage carrying the Virgin Mary. Once there, they celebrate the Last Supper and take the opportunity to finish the remaining panades (similar to Cornish pasties) and robiols (jam-filled pastries).
May
2nd Sunday of May Moros i Cristians
Re-inacted mock battles between heroes and infidels in Soller, commemorating a 1561 battle in which local women helped to defeat a band of Turkish pirates. In Santa Ponsa there is a re-inacted battle between the Christians and the Moors.
Also on this Sunday Son Carrio celebrate their patron saint Sant Miquel, or Saint Michael, which is also the name given to the parish church. The highlight of the activities is a popular toast supper and celebration, alongside the agricultural and livestock fair, which offers ecological products, crafts etc.
June
20 Jun Romeria de Sant Marcal
A market and exhibition of siurell and ornaments in Marratxi.
24 Jun Sant Joan
On this day, the locals celebrate Sant Joan. The dance of Sant Joan Pelut, or Saint John the Hairy, whose origins are unknown takes place in Sant Llorenc. The figure of Sant Llorenc closely resembles the figure of Saint John, the Baptist who preached in the desert, and the dance takes place to the sound of guitars and piccolo.
One of the most popular festivals in Palma de Mallorca, called Nic de Foc (Night of Fire), also takes place on this day. The huge bonfires and fireworks displays, held each year in the Parc de la Mer, mark the beginning of of Mallorca's summer fiestas. There is also the Fiesta del Solque Bailla in Muro.
28 & 29 Jun Sant Pere
Processions of fishing boats in Palma, Port d’Andratx and Port d’Alcudia in honour of the patron saint of fishermen.
July
15 & 16 Jul Verge del Carma
This celebration of the virgin starts with an evening mass procession with local people carrying a statue of the virgin, the patron of fishermen to the port where the statue is brought aboard a boat that has been decorated for fiesta. This boat is followed out to sea by a procession of decorated fishing boats. Processions of boats in the island’s ports, including Cala Rajada, Port de Pollenca and Port de Soller.
19 – 24 Jul Sá Mostra International Folklore Festival
The Majorcan town of Sóller hosts this annual festival, a week of lively music and dance shows. The performance groups hail from all over the world, making this an interesting and culturally diverse event.
25 Jul Saint Jaume
Fiestas held throughout the island.
27& 28 Jul Santa Catalina Thomas
Homage to Mallorca’s patron saint in her home town of Valldemossa.
Last Sunday of July Fornells
Local Fiestas.
August
Aug Fiesta La Patrona Battle between Moors and Christians re-inacted
In Pollenca the battle between the local hero Joan Mas and the pirate invasion of the Moors led by Dragut Rais. The celebrations start every year with an Alborada (a traditional Pollenca song) and end with fireworkds. The morning song is followed by Mass, then the dance of Es Cossiers. At 6 pm an image of the Virgin Mary is paraded through the streets, let by folk in 1550s costume. The real fun starts at 7pm with the re-enacted battle; villagers dress up in tatty pyjamas and face paint, armed with cutlasses, swords and sticks.
Around 10 Aug
This is when the fiesta of the patron saint of Sant Llorenc take place. There are open-air concerts; ball de bot (traditional dancing); an evening fair of ecological products; sports activities such as the races, where children and adults run a route through the town, followed by a foam party; theatre from Mallorcan groups, who sometimes use this opportunity to premier a new play; children's theatre or puppet shows and games for both young and old. All this is rounded off by a fireworks display.
23 & 24 Aug Sant Bartomeu
Devil-dancing in Montuiri at one of Mallorca’s oldest festivals.
28 Aug Sant Agusti
Cavallets dances in Felanitx, with children dressed up as cardboard horses being chased to the accompaniment of bagpipes, flutes and drums.
September
In September there is a two week festival that commemorates the landing of King Jaime I in Mallorca, featuring a mock Battle between the Moors and Christians. This is when the whole population of Mallorca and more seem to come to Santa Ponsa. It’s no wonder, as the atmosphere is very exciting and lively. There is a Rock Concert, as well as a Parade of Giants that amaze the children. Make sure you don’t miss the firework display on the final Sunday of the festival. Food and drink are available at both fiestas.
First weekend in Sep Les Festes de La Beata Santa Catalina Tomás Fiesta
The town of Santa Margalida honours its patron saint, Catalina Tomás, with a weekend of celebrations commemorating her beatification by Pope Pius VI. In true Mallorcan style, the entire town is transformed into a noisy, colourful mass of people. A procession, led by La Beata on foot, leaves the local parish church on the Saturday evening. This is accompanied by the authorities, groups of xeremiers (flageolet players), peasants, demons and 12 floats reproducing the most remarkable episodes of the life of this Mallorcan saint. Afterwards, a raucous mixture of food, wine, music and dancing ensues. Children dress up as devils and run through the streets terrorising the locals, while a few lucky girls are chosen to dress up as Santa Catalina herself and have the privilege of walking behind the floats that wind slowly but steadily through the narrow streets. Sunday is the saint's day, marked by a further procession and a recreation of the life of Santa Catalina Tomás by the inhabitants of Santa Margalida.
8 Sep Mare de Déu de la Salut
Processions and floral offerings take over Palma during the annual Mare de Déu de la Salut fiesta. There's music and theatre entertainment, as well as a solemn mass in honour of the Virgin Mary at the church of Sant Miguel.
10 Sep La Mare de Déu Trobada
The fiesta of the Virgin Mary in Sant Llorenc begin with an offering of flowers by the town's young children to the Virgin Mary, followed by a drawing competition. At dusk there is a service dedicated to the Virgin Mary and in the evening the traditional dance organised by the Parish Council.
Second Sunday in Sep Harvest Festivals
There are several harvest festivals, including a melon festival in Vilafranca de Bonany.
21 Sep Sant Mateu
Festival in Bunyola.
Last Sunday in Sep Fiesta des Vermada
The wine-growing village of Binissalem holds the Sa Vermada to celebrate the grape harvest. A rocket is fired at the finish of the harvesting, then the younger people follow a drummer and piper to a field where a grape scuffle takes place and other activities fill the village.
October
First Sunday of Oct Fiesta Torrada d’es Borifarro Fiesta of Black Pudding
In Sant Joan the Fiesta of Black Pudding has pork, Sobrassada and Butifarrones roasted on BBQs throughout the village, followed by celebrations of traditional dancing and exhibitions.
Third Saturday of Oct Colcada de la Beata The Procession of the Blessed
This takes place in Palma de Mallorca and celebrates the beatification of Saint Catalina Tomàs, who was born in the northwest Mallorcan region of Valldemossa in 1531 and died at Palma's Santa Magdalena convent in 1574. The day features a special sermon in the Santa Maria Magdalena church and a colourful parade of floats and musicians.
November
Second Thursday in Nov Dijous Bo
Mallorca's most important agricultural, livestock and commercial fair takes place in Inca.
30 Nov Sant Andreu
Local fiestas in Santanyi.
December
24 & 25 Dec Navidad Christmas
Families in Mallorca celebrate Christmas as we know it.
31 Dec Ano Nuevo New Years Eve Celebrations
Celebrated all over the island with plenty of spectacular firework displays. Some villages have live music and dancing as well, with eating of the grapes tradition during the count down to midnight. In Palma Festa de l'Estendard is celebrated in honour of the Christian conquest of Palma in 1229, with a procession from the town hall to Mass at the cathedral.
