Sant Antoni, Sa Pobla

Traditional festival in honour of the town’s patron saint. For two weeks, a series of religious celebrations and activities of all kinds take place, with the peak on the 16th, the eve of the festival.
A week earlier, however, the events have already begun, among which the following stand out for their tradition: Sa Llego, a popular charity race of 7,780 m along an old route of the town’s foravila; the Ximbomba Children’s Competition, run by the Festa de sa Ximbomba school, the concert by the Sa Pobla Choir and the Correfoc, with the Dimonis i Tamborers d’Albopàs de sa Pobla.
Most of the scheduled events take place on January 16th. Early in the morning, the workers from the Sant Antoni factory proceed to the enramellada and climb of the arch to the church square. Then, the primary school boys and girls leave in the direction of Sa Llebre to go and find firewood for the bonfires of the parish and the town hall, accompanied by the bugle band of the brotherhood of Sant Antoni.
At sunset, the demons leave – and Sant Antoni, accompanied by the singers – and a parade with barn banging for the youngest. Later in the afternoon, the Ceremonial of the historical sanction, with which a pair of messengers from the Middle Ages read the royal authorization for the start of the revetla.
From the town hall, parade of the Grif paralympic demons, Albopàs demons, demons from the Obreria and the Town Hall, giants, caparrots, caparrots minyons and the Sa Pobla Music Band, to the church where, at 8 pm, the solemn full masses take place, which coincide with the lighting of hundreds of bonfires throughout the town. During the mass, the clamater joyfully announces the eternal bond of Sant Antoni with the town of Sa Pobla. After the full masses, parade in the opposite direction and, once in the Plaça Major, traditional dances of the demons from the Obreria, accompanied by the singers and dancing of the groups of caparrots and caparrots minyons and by the Sa Pobla Music Band. Once the dances are over, a great pyromusical spectacle. And then comes the time to enjoy a good dinner which, if it is traditional, will be served by the fire of the bonfires, with toasted sausages, botifarros, chulla, loin and also with vegetable or roasted pepper cakes and the unique espinagades of eel and cabbage. The night progresses and, in the Plaça Major, the meeting of singers and ximbombers takes place. And the party will continue until – for some – the break of dawn. On Saint Anthony’s Day, January 17, there will be a solemn mass and offering of products from the countryside and dancing by Marjal en Festa. At this time, the Tau d’or is awarded by the Obreria, a distinction given to a person or entity for their involvement in the party.
At 12:30 p.m., in the main square, the caparrots and caparrots minyons dances return and, at dusk, in the small church square, traditional dances blessed with the presence of the xeremiers group, a parade of floats and groups accompanied by the cornet band of the Sant Antoni brotherhood. The festivities end with the draw for those aspiring to be part of the caparrots and caparrots minyons group for the next Sant Antoni festival. As part of the Sant Antoni festivities, there is Setmana de s’Anguila, during which most bars and restaurants offer a varied selection of dishes made with this special fish.