LOCAL FESTIVITIES

On the evening before the festival the demons meet and the bonfires are lit. 17th January is the saint’s holy day and the domestic animals are blessed at the “Beneïdes” in Capdepera (parade of floats and horses), while the recital of the “Cant de l’Argument”, accompanied by the music of the “codolada” tells the story of the most important events of the year. (The following weekend, the festival is repeated in Cala Ratjada.)

During Carnival in Cala Ratjada, fun and a sense of humour are at the forefront. The celebrations attract more local people every year to participate in and to watch the parades in Cala Ratjada and Capdepera. Many come to take part in the fancy dress ball that is held in the municipal sports centre.

The most important events are the processions through Cala Ratjada and Capdepera on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday to commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The week of celebrations culminates on Easter Sunday with the procession of the “Encuentro” (“meeting”), where the resurrected Jesus meets with his mother. The following week on “Domingo del Ángel” (literally “Sunday of the Angel”) it is tradition to eat home-made little meat pies.

Three days of fiesta, during which time the clocks in the Castle and town of Capdepera are turned back to the Middle Ages. The usually good weather in May lets everyone enjoy the spectacle of this all-day festival and the town of Capdepera lends itself well to the medieval atmosphere. For those who have no wish to walk to town, a tourist transport mini-train runs to the Market from Cala Ratjada, while this service is provided by buses from Canyamel, Font de sa Cala and Cala Mesquida.

The fiesta celebrated under the heading of Carmen is the primary seamen’s festival in Cala Ratjada, as the Virgin of Carmen is the patron saint of the seamen. On her holy day, 16th July, the harbour of Cala Ratjada gets all dressed up for the party. It is a unique and amazing spectacle: The boats are all adorned with flags and flowers and they all follow the boat carrying the statue of the virgin and leave harbour in procession. During the festival week a large number of events are organised: dancing, concerts, a half-marathon,...

The little coastal resort of Canyamel marks its fiesta with a celebration of Mass in the little chapel, a well-visited dinner in the open air, dancing, fireworks and games for children. This is a day when children and grown-ups alike can enjoy cultural events, games and entertainment in the open air, a wonderful way to pass a few animated days in the holiday atmosphere.

Concerts, firework displays, theatre groups, folk dancing, children’s games and competitions invade the streets and fun and bright lights abound in the summery days and nights. The party never stops, every corner of Cala Ratjada has its special moment.

In the course of two weeks of festival, there is a constant flow of people in the streets all anxious to sample the very varied activities offered. Due to the temporal and spatial closeness of this fiesta with the festivals in Cala Ratjada, for the last few years they have been celebrated together. A magical event worthy of special mention is the “Nit del Foc” (“night of fire”) in Capdepera, with its night-time procession of demons with torches, wheels of fire, strings of firecrackers, fireworks, etc. On this night the street lights in medieval Capdepera are switched off and hundreds of people run through the streets to the sound of gunpowder explosions, dancing to the beat of the demons’ drums. It is an impressive spectacle, a vision from hell.

In the harbour of Cala Ratjada this culinary fair takes place and is dedicated to the llampuga, a blue fish (also known as dolphin fish or mahi-mahi) which is especially tasty here due to the wonderfully clean bright water in the channel between Mallorca and Menorca. This gastronomic festival is organised by the fishermen and the owners of local hotels and restaurants. In addition to showing the versatility of the fish and the inventiveness of the chefs, it is evidence of the dynamic force driving Capdepera, a town capable of combining the origins of a fishing hamlet and the high level of culinary expertise available in the local restaurant establishments. In the days leading up to the Sunday on which the fair has its culminating point, other gastronomic activities also take place. These range from a tapas competition to a taste of sausage and genuine German beer...

Esperança is a figure of the Virgin much revered by the people of Capdepera, as according to the old “Legend of the Fog” she was the one who saved the ancient inhabitants of the Castle from a pirate attack. Every year at the festival for the Virgin of Hope, this legend is commemorated by reading the “Sermon of the Fog” and with a procession. The evening before a very popular Mass known as “Completes” is celebrated and many people attend.

On the night of 24th, during the church service for Christmas Eve, the churches of Cala Ratjada and Capdepera resound to the emotional singing of “La Sibil•la”, a medieval liturgical drama that has been recognised as World Heritage cultural material.
On 31st December it is traditional to celebrate the end of the year by eating 12 grapes to the sound of the bells tolling midnight. Then the partying goes on all night until dawn and finishes with hot chocolate and the sweet pastry called ensaïmadas. On New Year’s Day there is a concert to celebrate the beginning of the year, and a traditional waltz is certain to be played.
The end of the party year arrives with the Reyes Magos de Oriente, the 3 Kings who came from afar, who arrive by boat on the evening of 5th January at Cala Ratjada harbour. They make their way through town in procession, seated on thrones on their floats from where they greet all the children with shining eyes who have come to see them. On the next day the Kings ride on horseback through all the streets of town distributing presents to the children in their homes.