Semana Santa in Mallorca is the most important event for the brotherhoods
There is hardly any other place where the contrasts are as varied as in Mallorca. Some people associate the Balearic island with parties, beaches and the sea; for others, Mallorca is the pearl of the Mediterranean, shimmering in so many different facets that you'll never get enough. It is precisely these contrasts that become particularly clear at Easter time. Because then Mallorca is far, far removed from the usual clichés and deeply rooted traditions paired with strong and sincere faith come to the fore.
Easter is the oldest and highest festival in the church year. For Christians worldwide, the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is one, if not the central component of their faith. The fact that Easter has no fixed date can be explained by the fact that Easter Sunday always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon in spring. As the calendar date for the beginning of spring is 20 March, Easter can therefore be celebrated on 22 March at the earliest and 25 April at the latest. The date therefore varies every year and can be in either March or April.
The festivities begin a week before Easter Sunday. Palm Sunday opens Holy Week, which is called Semana Santa in Spanish, with church services.
An essential part of Semana Santa are the processions, which are organised in Mallorca by the brotherhoods, the so-called Cofradías. There are 34 brotherhoods in the island's capital alone - and so up to 5,000 believers from the brotherhoods in Palma alone take part in the processions. In addition, of course, there are all those who gather along the streets and devoutly follow the processions.
For some spectators who have never been to Mallorca during Semana Santa before, what they see may seem strange at first. At first glance, the penitents in their long robes and high pointed bonnets, which cover their entire faces and are more reminiscent of the Ku-Kux clan, look rather eerie. The penitents can only recognise their path during the processions through slits in their eyes. Quite a few of them even walk barefoot and some have iron chains around their ankles. The individual brotherhoods are accompanied by groups of musicians, who in this case merely set the beat and do not provide the usual cheerful atmosphere. The drumbeats sound monotonous and probably send a shiver down the spine during the processions, which often last for hours, and the sounds of the wind instruments are almost mournful. The numerous monstrances, wooden crosses and decorated altars, which are carried solemnly but with great effort by the participants on the procession route, take centre stage.
Easter processions characterise Semana Santa on Mallorca
Processions and ceremonies take place throughout Holy Week in Mallorca. However, Holy Thursday certainly deserves a special mention, as the jueves santo is one of the most important days: the Processó del Crist de la Sang (Christ of the Blood), which winds its way through the streets of Palma's centre, is not only by far the largest procession in terms of the number of members from the brotherhoods, but it also attracts the most spectators. Unfortunately, this also includes onlookers with little understanding of what they are seeing. It is therefore worth mentioning at this point that all the processions that take place are certainly not performances that elicit applause and shouts of bravo. Religious and cultural identity may be displayed visibly and publicly, but the spectators are expected to show respect. Loud conversations and laughter as well as jumping through the rows of penitents are certainly not necessary during the processions and can truly wait.
Biggest processions are in Palma and Pollenca
On Good Friday (Divendres Sant), passion plays are held in several towns on Mallorca. The town of Pollensa is the venue for one of the most moving events: Thousands of spectators accompany the staging of the Descent from the Cross (Devallament), in which a figure of Christ is carried down the 365 steps of Calvary to the parish church.
The performance of the Passion of Christ also attracts numerous visitors. In the island's capital, the production takes place impressively on the steps of Palma's La Seu Cathedral; Artà, Felanitx and Sant Joan are also performance venues.
Easter Sunday, when the resurrection of Jesus is celebrated, is the highlight of Semana Santa. Church services are held in numerous churches, with the largest mass traditionally taking place in Palma Cathedral. The Spanish royal family also usually attends the Easter mass in La Seu and so some churchgoers may hope to catch a glimpse of the royals. However, the attendance of the monarchs has certainly changed in recent years - not all members of the Casa Real always turn up.
Traditional dishes on Mallorca at Easter
The solemn Easter Sunday marks the end of Lent, which has been going on since Ash Wednesday. On Mallorca, this special day is celebrated with traditional dishes that taste all the better after the weeks of abstinence. And of course you are spoilt for choice between sweet and savoury delicacies.
Those who like it savoury will be delighted with a ‘Frito de Pascua’. The name of the dish is reminiscent of the ‘Frito malloriquín’ - because depending on the ingredients, the name of the dish changes and as it is prepared with lamb or lamb offal at Easter, the ‘Frito de Pascua’ is served on the Easter weekend. And, of course, the dumplings filled with meat and vegetables are a must. Panades are practically part of the must-try culinary programme.
It's sweet on Mallorca even without the Easter bunny
If the dumplings are sweet, for example filled with jam or quark, then you can look forward to one - or even a few more - Rubiols. The same applies to crespells, the famously tasty shortcrust pastries that are available all year round in bakeries, the so-called forns, but which are a must at Easter.
The Monas de Pascua are a real eye-catcher in the shop windows of confectioners and a real guarantee for bright children's eyes. However, this custom, which originated in Catalonia, has changed over the years: It was once a cake or wreath of bread decorated with brightly coloured eggs. Today, the monas are almost small works of art, lovingly crafted figures made from chocolate. What has remained is that the children still receive them as gifts from their godparents. After all, tradition is tradition.
What the Fira del Ram funfair in Palma has to do with Easter
Some people might be surprised: A funfair and Easter? That doesn't go together at all. But the two events have more in common than many people realise.
In Berlin, people like to take a stroll around the funfair, in Hamburg the cathedral beckons. The people of Stuttgart, on the other hand, look forward to the Wasen, while the people of Bremen wouldn't want to miss their Freimarkt. And in Palma de Mallorca, people look forward to the Fira del Ram once a year.
Mallorca's traditional spring fair continues to attract visitors to the Son Fusteret fairground in Palma until 27 April 2025. However, it is not only because the Fira del Ram takes place before, during and shortly after Easter every year that Mallorca's fair is associated with Easter, but also because of its name alone. This is because the Fira del Ram owes its name to Palm Sunday, or Diumenge de Rams in Catalan, which in Christian tradition marks the beginning of Semana Santa or Holy Week. Palm Sunday commemorates the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, when people greeted him with palm branches. The word Fira means fair or fairground in Catalan.
The Fira del Ram was once closely linked to the church festival: Originally, it was a market and trade fair held during Lent, where the faithful could buy palms and olive branches for the festivities. Over time, a large funfair developed around the church celebrations, which continued to grow and developed into what is now the largest funfair in Mallorca.
Even though the Fira del Ram is known today mainly for its rides, stalls and lights, its name is still a reminder of the old tradition.