The carnival festivities are the last fun events before the Lent season.

In Spain, the Catholic tradition has adopted the carnival as part of its celebration. It is just before the earnestness and seclusion of Easter week, when the vast majority of the towns are filled with popular festivals awash with colours, music, costumes and dances that allow both children and adults to get involved in the magical atmosphere.

In Mallorca, according to tradition, every Ash Wednesday, the first day after carnival, each family hung in their houses a wooden, cardboard or paper figure which had seven feet and is known as the Jaia Corema, and this marked the beginning of Lent. Each foot represents one of the seven weeks that remains until Easter Sunday. The father of the family would remove one foot each time a week ended and, finally, set fire to the rest of the Jaia. Today, it is the children who continue the tradition at home. Celebrations linked to this ancient and pagan festivity continue as part of the festivals, thanks to the enriching influx of visitors. Without taking too much of your time, we would like to tell you about the most famous and fun ones: In Alcudia, before the big party at the weekend, the Ruetes are organised, which are parades where the focus is on the children. On Saturday, a celebration is organised in the town square, with the participation of parades, musical groups, and all those who decide to enjoy the day wearing their costumes. On Sunday, a parade of floats and unusual characters, called Rua, flood the central streets ending with the award ceremony for the best costume.

In Palma, on the other hand, the festivities begin with a parade where you can see Venetian masks and dances.  The big day is Sunday, in the morning the focus is on the children, who enjoy shows and activities prepared especially for them and ends with the parade of costumes, La Rueta. In the afternoon, both old and young dressed in their costumes flood the streets, the centre of Palma becomes filled with music, colour and joy, thanks to the popular floats and parades that stream through the city centre. Carnival 2018 is celebrated between 8 and 12 February.

At Zafiro Hotels we open the doors of several of our hotels to you so that you can switch off from the routine during the month of February and get to know the carnival of Mallorca. Go to our booking section and choose one of our hotels: Zafiro Tropic, Zafiro Palmanova, Zafiro Rey don Jaime or Zafiro Palace Alcudia. At Zafiro Hotels we want to offer you the most complete and pleasant stay so that the whole family can enjoy and share these fun days with us. At our hotels you will also find a complete program of children's activities and the best leisure and sports offer, all with our exclusive services such as Zafiro All Inclusive or Zafiro Zen, Body & Mind.

Enjoy this unique festival with Zafiro Hotels!