Easter in Majorca
Easter in Majorca is a moment during which you can discover some interesting traditions on the island.
In particular, during the Semana Santa, the Holy Week, religious processions take place every day on almost every town.
Palma hosts some of the most suggestive ones.
Moreover, the warmer temperatures makes an Easter holiday a great opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, the hiking paths and the beaches!
Easter Processions and Festivals in Palma de Majorca
Of course, processions are held not only in Palma but in almost everywhere on the island. However, I want to focus on those in this town.
One of the most fascinating procession is the Christ de la Sang.
On the evening of the Holy Thursday huge statues of Christ and the Virgin Mary are carried through the streets of the city by hooded men, called Carapuntas.
These men belong to the cofradias, the brotherhoods. In Majorca there are about 50 brotherhoods and each of them has its own colored dress.
On Good Friday on the steps of the Cathedral in Palma is the reenactment of the Passion of Christ, followed by a procession.
After the melancholy processions of the previous days, on Easter Sunday in Palma it is possible to participate in the Procession of the Meeting that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus and his encounter with his mother.
During this procession, some men carry a statue of Jesus towards some women carrying a statue of the Virgin Mary. The groups gently shake the statues up and down as a sign of joy for the meeting.
On Little Easter you can participate in another procession called Domingo de Angel, the Angel Sunday. Actually, it is more like a festival.
Residents and visitors walk from the town hall to the Bellver Castle, followed by music bands and some people dressed up as giants.
Food and secondary events make the Domingo the Angel a great way to spend the Little Easter. People in Palma usually spend this day setting up picnics with friends and families.
Another festival for an unforgettable Easter in Majorca, is La Fira del Ram in Palma. The Ferris wheel, rides for children and adults, more than 100 stands, food, music, attractions and fun are available day and night for a short periodo of time.
Among the other Easter events in Palma are the concerts held in the churches. I think the most exclusive is the one in La Seu Cathedral.
Easter events in other cities
As I have already said, every town in Majorca has its own calendar of events to celebrate Easter, both religious and pagan.
On Good Friday in Pollença takes place one of the most popular celebrations, the Devallament, that is the Descent from the Cross. During this reenactment a figure of Christ is removed from the cross and carried down the impressive stairway of Mount Calvario to the Church of Virgen de los Ángeles by silent hooded members of the local brotherhoods.
The processions is really suggestive thanks to the location. The stairway of Mount El Calvario consist of 365 steps, one for each day of the year, and 14 3-meter-high crosses are placed to recall the Stations of the Cross.
Really suggestive.
For Little Easter, I found out that some of the most appreciated locations for day trips and picnics are the Alaró Castle, Puig de Santa Magdalena near Inca, the Ermita de Sant Blai in Campos.
And now a last suggestion for a perfect Easter in Majorca: go to a pastry shop and try the Rubiols.
The Rubiols are baked pastries made with flour, lard, olive oil and eggs. They have a semicircular shape and are filled with Ricotta-like cheese, cream or a pumpkin jam called Cabello de Angel, angel’s hair.
