Palma's municipal markets will be open on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, which fall on a Sunday. Considered small businesses, although they are grouped together in a large municipal space, the stallholders will take advantage of these two days to attend to a good number of customers, although they are already warning that on Friday and Saturday many customers will come to the stalls to pick up their orders.
The vice-president of the Olivar market, Emilio Mesquida, pointed out that "on the 31st there will be stalls that are closed. The vast majority of orders will be collected on Friday and Saturday. Now there is more work than ever, many families think that going out for dinner is too expensive, so they decide to cook at home".
The president of the Pere Garau market, Paquita Bonnín, pointed out that "on Sunday 24th it is compulsory for all stalls to open, but on the 31st it is optional. Even so, the fishmongers and butchers will open because they have a lot of goods in the stalls".
Bonnín points out that changes have been noticed in this year's Christmas Eve and Christmas menu: "The suckling pig has gone up a lot and now costs 160 euros a piece. People are opting for turkey, for eight euros a kilo, or a stuffed chicken, which goes for 15 euros a kilo but can be eaten by up to twelve people".
Mesquida is of the same opinion, explaining that "pork is going through the roof and so is duck, due to avian flu. In the end, families are opting for turkey. For 60 euros, six people eat." Mesquida also wants to remin people that in the Olivar Market "there is one hour's free parking for every twenty euros of purchase. This measure has allowed us to attract more customers".