Christmas is a whole new experience and equally magical in Mallorca, whether you are a homeowner on the island, or on holiday, look forward to celebrations that are filled with tradition and local customs. The Balearic Islands are home to a Christmas for getting together with family and friends, eating well and enjoying the traditional events and church services. In today’s blog real estate agent Engel & Volkers would like to outline some of the things that are going on in the North of Mallorca over the Christmas period, introduce you to some of the traditions.Read on!
Beautiful Christmas Traditions in the North of Mallorca
If you will be spending time in December in the north of the island, take a stroll through the tiny streets of Pollensa or Alcudia, admire the pretty decorations, and try some of the traditional Majorcan pastries and cakes in one of the many cafés or bars. A very popular product is the Ensaimada de Mallorca, a usually sweet pastry made from wheat flour, eggs, and lard that have a protected designation of origin, and which have been baked mostly unchanged from the original recipe since the 17th century (sometime lard is exchanged for butter or margarine). Other traditional delights to be enjoyed during the Christmas season in the North of Mallorca include Coca de torró, a cake made from almonds, and Coca de Nadal, a typical island Christmas cake. Other traditional dishes enjoyed by the locals with their families at Christmas include a consommé with stuffed Galets (a pasta filled with minced meat), roast suckling pig "Porcella," and turkey stuffed with raisins, dried apricots, and pine nuts.
On Christmas Eve, there is a Christmas Mass held in many churches around the island, and it is in some of these churches the mass will include an interpretation of the ancient Gregorian chant of the Sibyl, in Catalan on Mallorca. The lyrics contain a prophecy about the end of the world. The Sibyl's is based on Latin manuscripts from the 10th century, and was inscribed in to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2010. It is performed by a singer in traditional attire, wielding a sword. Even if you don not get to hear the Sibyl, visit the churches, which are mostly beautifully adorned.
On St. Stephen's Day (boxing day), December 26, many Majorcan families dine at a restaurant or visit their relatives.
Another widespread tradition in Mallorca is the custom of eating 12 grapes as the church bells welcome in the new year. The grapes symbolize the months of the upcoming year and are associated with good luck, positivity and spirituality.
The highlight of the Festive Season being the Three Kings Parade, locally known as the Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos, Melchior, Caspar and Balthasar, held on January 5. The three kings pass through many streets and plazas in the towns and villages of Mallorca, thrilling everyone, especially the children, who in the previous days have written to the kings with their present wish list. Presents for the children are still delivered by the kings to the relevant houses in many parts of the island. On January 6, the Three Wise Men are celebrated, and the whole family enjoys a lavish meal that includes the Roscon de Reyes, a ring of cake decorated with figs, cherries, and candied fruits, and hiding small surprises like a coin or a figurine.
Also, a very big part of Christmas is the grand Christmas lottery (El Gordo) on the morning of December 22, the entire draw lasts around 5 hours, and is broadcast live on television. Children from a local boarding school, the Colegio de San Ildefonso (Madrid), sing out the numbers of the lottery in pairs. This lottery is probably the most important in Spain, that spreads the winnings amongst many families. The jackpot, however, is €4,000,000 for the lucky person who owns 10 tenths (decimos) of the winning number.