Each and every year, various festivals and celebrations occur on the island of Mallorca. These festivals draw travelers and vacationers from all over the world. There are many reasons for these celebrations and most of them are steeped heavily in tradition and mythology. There are two festivals that honor animals. One such festival is in honor of ducks, the other in honor of farm animals and agricultural beasts.
The first festival, known as the Releasing of the Ducks, has created controversy over the years. Various animal rights activists protested the using of the live ducks during the event, which caused the locals to change their ways. Nowadays yellow,rubber ducks are used, but the capturing of live ducks that had been let go on the open sea went on for many years. To capture a duck released during this traditional event was the object of the game. Due to the fact that this occurred in the populated areas near the businesses, boat yards and 5 star Mallorca hotel, many of the animals were hurt in the process. Some have a hard time letting go of the tradition. A few years ago, a disguised group showed up to release live ducks into the sea, which caused quite a stir and an emotional out cry. Although this is a traditional event and a widely popular festival often drawing an audience of 2000 people or more, no one seems to know exactly what it signifies.
Another such traditional event that is more a celebration than a contest is held every year in the middle of January. This is a tribute to Saint Antoni, the farm and working animals patron saint. This is a fiesta that isn’t contained to just one city but happens in many towns across the islands. There are huge campfires surrounded by dancers in costumes and devilish make-up, dancing into the night accompanied by and drummers. These celebrations start in the early morning and continue on all day into the late evenings. A breakfast of chocolate starts off the day of culinary delights so inherent to every festival in Spain. There are performances throughout the festival all honoring the life of the saint. As the festival progresses it is sometimes compared with the Mardi Gras festival in the United States, and many people are disguised and drinking quite a bit of muscatel, the night can tend to become a bit of an erotic affair.
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