© palmademallorca.es
Mallorca gets ready for carnival
As with many other Roman Catholic countries, Mallorca's carnival is a festival that represents the last party before the onset of Lent and the associated austerity and self-denial. Many towns in Mallorca organise a series of parades and festivities in February and March (depending on when Lent falls) - this year Lent begins on the 9th March.
It all begins on Thursday 3rd March (Dijous Jarder - literally translated as ‘Fat Thursday') and the parties continue throughout the weekend. The ‘Els Darrers Dies' (The Last Days) as it is known signifies the last time for fun & treats before the Lent fast begins.
Fabulous floats and fancy costumes are the main attraction of these street celebrations where locals show the rest of us how to party! ‘Sa Rua' as the parades are known can be seen throughout Majorca, and in the larger towns, you may find funfairs & stalls, and prizes for the best costumes.
On the Tuesday before the beginning of Lent, (Shrove Tuesday in the UK) some villages hold a mock sardine funeral, where a horse-drawn herse containing a sardine is paraded through the village. Escorted by mourners, the sardine is then placed on to a large funeral pyre. There follows a night of partying and drinking, accompanied by a feast of barbequed sardines!
Carnival celebrations will begin in most towns on 3rd March and the festivities will continue until 9th March. The biggest parade is held in Palma where the children's parade (Sa Rueta) is held on the Saturday, with the main adults parade (Sa Rua) being held on the Sunday.
