One of the most popular celebrations on the island
Bonfires, the devil, and a very special pine tree, are what define Sant Antoni
When the Three Kings have finished their journey and everyone has enjoyed their Christmas holidays, one of the most traditional festivals in Mallorca is round the corner. This popular celebration is called Sant Antoni, and takes place on the 17th January.
Sant Antoni is a very old festival dates back to 1365. It is a very special day for the Mallorcan people, especially for those in the north.
Saint Anthony the Great, the Father of All Monks
But, who was Saint Anthony, also known as Anthony the Great? For whom a whole island celebrates his Saint with such excitement? Anthony was a Christian monk, born in Egypt in 251 A.D. When he was about 20 years old his parents died and he was left guardian of his younger sister. Shortly after, he decided to follow God’s call and gave away most of his family’s belongings keeping just a few for his sister, and went to live in the mountains. Anthony became famous among other things, for curing animals, and it is said that a black pig didn’t leave his side and protected him as way of appreciation for curing its piglet’s blindness.
During his solitude in the mountains, Saint Anthony tried hiding in a cave from the demons that nearly ended up killing him. And after being saved by his servants and demanding them to take him back to the cave, the demons returned, this time as wild beast to shred him to pieces. When suddenly, a white light flashed and made the demons disappear for ever, a light that Anthony knew must have been God. Saint Anthony lived to be a one hundred and five, being his final day on the 17th January 356 A.D.
A morning for animal lovers
The origins of this celebration are based on the traditional rural life in the Balearic Islands during the Middle Ages, explaining why Saint Anthony the patron saint of animals is revelled.
And even though this celebration has changed a lot throughout the years, the traditional roots have remained intact. People still take their pets and other animals to the Beneïdes (animal blessing). Among the different animals during this morning there are: horses, dogs, canaries, turtles to even shepherds with their flock of sheep.
It is a fun morning, especially for the little ones.
Bonfires, devils’ dances, and plenty of flames
In most towns, this day is a local holiday, making it possible for the locals to take part and enjoy the festival. Manacor, Sant Joan, Artà and Sa Pobla are very well known for their events and traditions on this day. They start to celebrate Sant Antoni on the 16th, meeting up in the morning or midday depending on the town, getting ready for the evening to arrive.
An eventful evening full of bonfires, dancing dimonis (devils) together with Sant Antoni, representing the temptations that Saint Anthony had to often overcome. In the evening a lot of families and friends cook the traditional botifarrons, sobrassades over the bonfires set for that purpose, and in Sa Pobla they also have the tradition of eating espinagada. And don’t forget about the ximbomba and glosses you can hear locals singing in the streets close to the bonfires, making this day so different to any other.
In Sa Pobla they also have the traditional caparrots (“big heads”; puppets with giant heads that represent traditional figures) and in Artà they traditionally sing “Lo Elogi”.
Let’s go and get the pine tree!
But the most unusual tradition is the one in Pollença, where the actual party is on the 17th, after the Beneïdes that take place in the morning, the villager meet up in the square Plaça de la Almoina next to a fountain with a rooster (the town’s symbol), to start walking towards the finca of Ternelles to get “u pi” (dialect: “pine tree”). The pine tree of about 20m is dragged through the streets by the people to the Plaça vella (Old Square) in Pollença town. But before all this happens, when the locals get to Ternelles, they stop to eat the traditional pa ambo li de arengades and drink some wine, many also drink traditional liquors like Hierbas Mallorquinas and Mesclat.
Who will be this year’s hero of Sant Antoni?
About 3000 people walk up to Ternelles to bring the pine tree back to Pollença, followed by the xeremiers and traditional dances such as Ball de Bot. But it’s not until around 7 pm that the pine tree gets to the Plaça Vella of Pollença, when the pine tree before lifting it up is soaped up to make the event even more interesting and fun. Once the pine tree is up, the real madness starts, that’s when the bravest young Pollencins attempt to climb the pine tree. And when finally, a Pollencí has achieved to climb up “u pi”, the reward is very close. That special feeling those who are already on the heroes list of “u dia d’u pi” can’t put into words, but whose look in the eyes perfectly explain. That moment when they have reached the very top where the traditional basket senalla is put with a bag of confetti (traditionally there was also a chicken in the basket), and empty the bag…that’s when the dream of every Pollencí comes true, to become one of the heroes to have climbed the PI DE SANT ANTONI.
Two special celebrations connected by a pine tree
This tradition also exists in Port de Pollença, where they bring the pine tree by boat from Formentor. The pine tree in Pollença stays in the square until Ash Wednesday, when the pi is cut down, and used to make the swords for the Moros and Christians , the local festival on the 2nd August.
