In Formentera the people of the countryside strive to maintain their habitual life-style and customs. This is especially evident in their holiday celebrations. The most important festivity is that of their patron saint, Sant Jaume, which is celebrated on the 25th of July. Next in importance is that of Santa Maria on the 5th of August which has recently become very popular. Following these is the festivity of Carmen the Virgin, patron saint of the mariners, which is celebrated in La Savina and in Es Pujols on the 16th of July. Also important are the festivities of the patron saint of each town: San Ferran on the 30th of May, Nuestra Señora del Pilar in the Mola on the 12th of October, and Sant Francesc Xavier on the 3rd of December.
Young people in a local folk dance during one of the festivities
In many of these festivities, where the inherited traditions are proudly kept up, the people organize the typical local folk dances and dress up with the traditional costumes for the occasion. The women show off their headscarves, shawls and aprons embroidered with a thousand flowers, and also their precious jewelry, passes down from generation to generation, made of gold brooches, gold necklaces, and gold chains of incalculable value.
A local festivity cannot be without music. The music is interpreted with local instruments: the flute, the drum, and big castanets that are engraved by branding. The “ball pages”, the typical local folk dance, starts with the music of these instruments (see the photograph above).
Traditional musical instruments