devil – GOING NINETY MILES

Saint Sebastian is Palma de Mallorca’s patron saint and is honored for a week long during the end of January with each day becoming more and more adventuresome. Tonight there will be devils, fire and torradas. Will you dare the devils or will they dare you?

ss1

Devils aren’t part of the celebration of Sant Sebastià, they are from the fiesta of Sant Antoni but the two are celebrated in Mallorca at the end of January and they have kind of merged together. Which makes for one fun party! The devils come for you as the correfoc (firerun) continues on, careful for fireworks and devils spitting fire at you.

The correfocs are my favorite.

ss10 ss7 ss4

It’s cold in Mallorca so don’t forget your warm clothes, sausages for the torrada and you might want to forego that hairspray for the night.

(Pictures above taken by me January 2011)

Save

Fiesta de San Sebastian was last night in Palma. And dude, was it cold. It did warm up in the vicinity of throngs of people and fire but still, freaking cold for Mallorca. My first time to celebrate San Sebastian and it won’t be my last. Policia blocked off Paseo Maritimo and the parade took place there. Not really sure if the Mallorquins would actually call it a parade but it was quite a show.

The second I arrived to Paseo Maritimo this guy walked out from the shadows in full attire of the devil WITH a chainsaw. He started it up right beside me and I almost screamed. I tried to casually step to the side hoping this was part of the fiesta and not some mad psycho killer. But I did hear some screams when he stepped into the “parade”. Scary yo.

Check out the pics, unfortunately I couldn’t capture the hundreds of people running up the stairs to the cathedral, each with a lit torch in their hands. So cool. Then came the part where the bishop (San Sebastian?) fought with the dragon and somehow they projected the entire side of the cathedral with what looked like flying bat people. Seriously hope some of you can see San Sebastian 2012. Til then ….