Christmas and the Three Kings in Mallorca: what newcomers notice

A longer season

The season starts early and ends late. In Palma the Christmas lights were switched on on 22 November this year, and the town hall’s nativity scene, the Betlem de Cort, opened the day before. Nativity scenes, called betlems in Catalan, are a big part of Christmas here. Churches, markets and museums set up their own, some very elaborate, and many stay open until mid-January.

The season does not end on 1 January. For many families the most important day is 6 January, the Epiphany, when the Three Kings bring children their presents. Schools in the Balearic Islands are on holiday from 22 December to 6 January.

Christmas Eve and the Song of the Sibyl

On the night of 24 December, churches across the island hold Matines, a midnight service. Its high point is the Cant de la Sibil·la, the Song of the Sibyl, a medieval chant about the end of the world, sung by a single young soloist in a tunic, who holds a sword upright in front of their face until the last verse. Once common in Europe’s churches, it survived in Mallorca, and UNESCO added it to its list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010.

The best-known performances are in Palma Cathedral and at the Lluc monastery in the mountains, and both fill up well before the start. Almost every town and village church has its own, which can be a more intimate way to hear it.

Christmas Day is mainly a family day at home or around a long lunch. In the Balearic Islands, 26 December, the second day of Christmas, is also a public holiday this year.

New Year’s Eve in Palma

Palma marks the last days of the year with one of its oldest civic traditions, the Festa de l’Estendard. It commemorates the conquest of the city by King Jaume I on 31 December 1229. On the evening of 30 December there is a service and a floral offering, and on the morning of 31 December the royal standard of the conquest is displayed in Plaça de Cort, outside the town hall, followed by a mass in the cathedral and a performance of La Colcada, a traditional poem, back in the square.

That night many people eat twelve grapes, one on each stroke of midnight, a custom found all over Spain. Palma’s council holds a public New Year’s Eve party in Plaça de Cort.

The Three Kings

On the evening of 5 January, almost every town holds a Cavalcada de Reis, a parade in which the Kings ride through the streets on floats and throw sweets to the crowds. In Palma they traditionally arrive by sea, landing at the Moll Vell, the old quay below the cathedral, before parading through the centre. Later that evening the town hall welcomes them in Plaça de Cort.

That night children leave their shoes out, and many families put out water or food for the camels too. On the morning of 6 January the presents are waiting. The day is a public holiday, and families spend it together much as others spend Christmas Day.

What closes, and when

• Public holidays: 25 and 26 December, 1 January and 6 January. Most shops, banks and offices close.
• Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve are not public holidays, but check opening hours, as some shops and offices close early.
• Palma’s shops, markets and restaurants keep going between the holidays, and the centre is busy with shoppers.
• In the resorts, many hotels and restaurants are already closed for the winter.
• Offices work on the days in between the holidays, but with many people away it is a slow time for paperwork.

Areas in this post

Palma