On Wednesday, Pollensa town hall announced that all events for the Sant Antoni fiestas in January have been cancelled.
Sant Antoni - the actual feast day is January 17 - is one of Mallorca's most popular fiesta celebrations, if not the most popular. In Pollensa, a demons' fire-run (correfoc) starts the week's events off. On Sant Antoni Eve, the bonfires and barbecues are great attractions, while on the day of Sant Antoni, there are the pine-tree climbs in both Pollensa itself and in Puerto Pollensa.
These events, plus the rituals of selecting and chopping down the pines and their subsequent transport, naturally mean crowds of people. In its statement on Wednesday, the town hall said that they cannot be held "with all the health guarantees". It stressed the importance of avoiding any event where there may be "overcrowding".
"We hope that in 2022 we can enjoy the tradition that is very much ours and is an inherent part of the idiosyncrasy of the 'pollencins' as well as of our way of being."
Arta town hall announced last month that its fiestas would be cancelled. As early as the end of September, Manacor said it was calling off the Sant Antoni fiestas in 2021 but has since added that certain events are likely to be streamed. In Sa Pobla, the historical heart of Sant Antoni in Mallorca, the town hall has yet to make a definitive announcement but is also looking at streaming. As things stand and because of the restrictions, it would be impossible for any fiestas to be held as usual.