Sant Honorat and the Cossiers of Algaïda
The patron saint of the village of Algaïda, Sant Honorat (Saint Honorat), is celebrated every year on January 16th. Yesterday, the saint was honoured with a special church service during […]
Light My Fire
The Fogerons of Sant Antoni are one of the highlights of Mallorca’s traditional calendar of Festes, coinciding with the farmers’ patron saint day and the Festa de Sant Antoni. Tomorrow […]
Campos and the Re-Animated Cossiers
The village (or is it a town?) of Campos celebrated their Patron Saint yesterday, Sant Julià. Festivities started last Friday, January 6th, and will continue until next Saturday, January 14th. Last […]
The Adoration of the Magi
Today, Spain celebrates the Festividad de Los Reyes Magos. The Three Kings, Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar, arrived last night to pay reverence to the recently born baby Jesus, and to […]
Weather Lore
Yesterday’s weather pattern must have been the best and sunniest one for many a year on a New Year’s Day. It was just blissful. We had blue skies, a magnificent […]
How to Avoid Bad Luck in the New Year
New Year’s Eve is called Noche Vieja in Spain. In Mallorcan, that would be Cap d’Any. The end of the year is particularly significant this year, both in Spain and […]
The Festa de l’Estendard
One of the most colourful celebrations in Mallorca is the annual Festa de l’Estendard on December 31st (tomorrow), celebrating the conquest of Madînat Mayûrqa, now Palma, by the troops of […]
Women in Red
Today is the day of the innocent pranks, Día de los Santos Inocentes (Day of the Innocent), Spain’s version of the Anglo-Saxon April Fool’s Day. Another three days, and it […]
The Day of the Innocent
May I remind you that the day after tomorrow, December 28th, Spain will celebrate the Día de los Santos Inocentes (Holy Innocents’ Day), a day for pranks, equivalent to April […]
Nit Sant and the Sibil·la Chant
Last night, Mallorca celebrated Nit Sant (Christmas Eve). A special church service is held on the Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) called Matines de Nadal. These masses are probably the most […]
Siurells as Nativity Scenes
I like Mallorcan Siurells or Xiurells, hand-made white clay whistles decorated subtly with green and red markings. During the Christmas period, we can find Siurell figures and animals molded into […]
Seaside Pleasures
I am not a friend of the fixation on Christmas decorations in the streets of our pueblos and towns, especially not those in Palma. It all seems overly commercial and materialistic, […]
The Lotería de Navidad Frenzy
Tomorrow, December 22nd, between 09h00 and 12h00, Spain’s Lotería Nacional (State Lottery) will hold the draw of the annual Lotería de Navidad (Christmas lottery). Spain’s newspapers will publish a second […]
Modern Street Poetry
Sometimes, if luck is on your side and you are patient enough to look, you can encounter poetry or lyrics in Palma’s streets, and proverbs. Such outpourings might come in […]
This Year’s Nativity Scenes
It’s this time of the year again. Belén time, Betlem time, time of Nativity scenes. I have a number of personal favourites, as every year. In Palma, I would suggest […]
The Mostra de les Matances
Yesterday, the pueblo of Sineu celebrated the annual Fira de Sant Tomas, where a Mostra de les Matances was held once again to show how things were done in Mallorcan […]
The Mallorca Photo Blog 