Summer in Menorca also symbolises the commencement of the traditional festivals, and after two years of pandemic situation, there is more longing than ever to be able to celebrate them.
The first date is the Saint Joan´s festivals, on June 23 and 24 and as from the third weekend of July, it is followed by all the other towns on the island, up until the festivals of Mare de Déu de Gràcia in Mahón, between September 6 and 9, which marks the end of the summer.
These local festivities have been celebrated since the fourteenth century, the main protagonist being the horse, normally of a Menorcan breed, to which the riders “Caixers” make them stand on its back hinds and lift their front hoofs for a number of seconds, in the well-known Jaleo.
The main “Caixers” who lead the celebration at each festivity are:
- “Fabioler/a”, the first member of the horse procession, known as “qualcada”, rides a donkey and plays a melody with the flute known as “Fabiol” and the drum.
- “Caixer Fadrí”, the single gentleman, who holds the flag that represents each village.
- “Caixer Casat”, the married gentleman.
- “Caixer Pagés”, the farmer gentleman.
- “Sa Capellana”, the priest.
- “Caixer senyor”, the major, who leads the festivity.
Another large number of “cashiers”, who want participate in the festivity, also join this horse procession preceded by the main cashiers.
The customary food served during the Patron Saint’s festivities is “Sa coca amb xocolati”, a round sweet cake that is dipped in hot chocolate, along with all the other traditional menorcan sweet and savoury pastries such as pastissets, formatjades, rubiols. If you come to visit Menorca, don’t forget to try them, you are definitely going to want to take some back with you!.
If you want to live the experience of these Patron Saint’s festivals, following is this year’s calendar
- Sant Joan of Ciutadella: 23 and 24 June
- Saint Martí of Es Mercadal: 16 and 17 July
- Saint Antoni of Fornells: 23 and 24 July
- Saint Jaume of Es Castell: July 24, 25 and 26.
- Saint Cristòfol of Es Migjorn Gran: 30, 31 July and 1 August
- Saint Gaietà of Llucmaçanes: 6 and 7 August
- Saint Llorenç of Alaior: 13 and 14 August
- Saint Climent of Sant Climent: 20 and 21 August
- Saint Bartomeu of Ferreries: 23, 24 and 25 August.
- Saint Lluís of Sant Lluís: 27 and 28 August
- Mare de Deu de Gràcia of Maó: 6, 7, 8 and 9 September.
Happy festivies to all!
