Saints

The Day When Felanitx Is Ruled By The Penyas

Today, the town of Felanitx is celebrating its patron saint day, the Festes de Sant Agustí. Every year, August 28th turns into a bit of a bit of a pandemonium […]

Art & Artists

Slumbering Beauties

I have occasionally been asked about, or sometimes even been criticized for, my intermittent reporting on matters of the Catholic church. There were suggestions that my blog entries on monasteries in […]

History

Fra Juníper Serra, the Mallorcan Missionary

Fra Juníper Serra was born in the village of Petra on November 24th, 1713. Padre Serra was beatified by Pope John Paul II on September 25th, 1988. Mallorca is currently […]

Customs & Traditions

Twelve Olives at the End of Sant Jaume

The Festes de Sant Jaume are celebrated every year on July 25th. Sant Jaume is the same as San Jaime in Spain and Santiago or Santo Xacobeo in Galícia. In […]

Architecture

The Capella de Sant Bernat

The Catedral de Mallorca, in Palma, is well worth a visit, not least for the splendour of some of its 15 lateral chapels (there are four more chapels which are […]

Boats

The Maritime Procession of the Virgen del Carmen

Mallorca’s coastal towns and harbours will be celebrating the Fiesta […]

Customs & Traditions

Irreparabile Tempus

Time is relative. As Wikipedia puts it, time is used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change […]

History

The Iglesia de Santa María in Sineu

Today, Wednesday, is market day in Sineu. To my knowledge, this is the only market in all of Mallorca holding a license to sell livestock. You can buy horses here […]

Automobiles

Saint Christopher and the Car Blessings

According to the Catholic faith, Saint Christopher is the saint of safe travel. It is quite customary, here and elsewhere, to put Saint Christopher medals on display in one’s car […]

Animals

Sant Marc and the Fate of Snails

I have a few admissions to make, this Day of Sant Marc (Mark the Evangelist). For some reason, this is the day when tradition in Mallorca calls for the celebration of […]

Architecture

The Basilica de Sant Francesc

The Basílica de Sant Francesc is one of the finest church buildings in Mallorca and would probably be the contender for the top spot were it not for the Cathedral. […]

Customs & Traditions

Village Life

I am in the middle of reading a fascinating book, Tuning up at Dawn by Tomás Graves, the youngest son of Robert Graves. I am captivated by the book as […]

History

The Ermita de la Santíssima Trinitat

It is Martes y Trece today, the Spanish equivalent of Friday the Thirteenth. You may not feel superstitious enough as to indulge in any prevention of ill fate. But you […]

Architecture

The Ermita de Sant Miquel

I don’t know if you have noticed that churches, temples and mosques often share the same location, with centuries between them, often with one being built over the previous edifice. […]

Animals

Dances With Bears

Els Óssos i en Joanet de l’Onso is the name of a group of six infant dancers plus an adult leader who are part of a newly formed folkloric act […]

Customs & Traditions

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 […]

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