Red-letter Christmastide events in Mallorca

28/11/2014

Enjoy a few relaxing days, alone or in the company of your family, at our charming hotel with sea views

Christmas is just around the corner, and Palma de Mallorca will be lit up for the occasion from 28th November. The switching on of the Christmas lights marks the beginning of the Christmastide activities programme that Palma City Hall puts on every year: music, gastronomy and cultural and leisure activities are all part of the build-up to Christmas – which, for Mallorcans, is above all a family event.

Amongst the red-letter Christmastide events in Mallorca are the Christmas Markets. The longstanding ones in the Plaça d’Espanya and the Ramblas are the perfect excuse for a stroll around the centre of Palma, with the opportunity to shop for presents including jewellery, accessories, and delicatessen products to suit all tastes.

Another traditional Christmas Market is the one in the Plaça Major, selling Christmassy items and figurines for nativity scenes. Depicting the birth of Jesus, nativity scenes are a part of the religious traditions of many countries. A visit to the city’s best-known ones is another “must” when you’re in Palma at Christmas. Here are a few that people make a bee-line for:

• The Betlem de Jesús in the Church of the Annunciation (la Sang)
• The Neapolitan Nativity Scene in Palau March
• Nativity Scene in Palma City Hall
• Nativity Scene of Sant Antoniet, in Sant Miquel Street

We at the Costa Azul Hotel build our own Nativity Scene every year. We invite you to visit it!

On the evening of Christmas Eve people traditionally have dinner as a family and then go to Missa del Gall (Midnight Mass). One of the most spectacular is the one celebrated in Mallorca's Cathedral, where you can hear the beautiful Song of the Sybil.

This Gregorian liturgical drama, which has been performed in Mallorca since the late Middle Ages, features on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The evening traditionally ends with a delicious cup of chocolate accompanied by xurros.

At the Costa Azul Hotel we’re cooking up a whole series of lunches, dinners and events designed with your enjoyment in mind. Take advantage of our last-minute deals in Mallorca to stay at our boutique hotel in Palma. Enjoy our exceptional views of the Bay, the marina and Mallorca Cathedral, and let the spirit of Christmas envelop you, Mediterranean-style.