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Los espectáculos pirotécnicos siempre presentes en las festividades modernas.
Even if the island has suffered some changes during last years, traditional fiestas still enjoy a great popularity. In fact, some celebrations that were no longer celebrated, have now been recovered.
Although these fiestas have their origins in religious celebrations, they have increasingly become festive and pagan celebrations.
Sant Joan on the 24th of June, is a magic night celebrated with traditional bonfires. The legend says that these bonfires leave bad memories of past months behind. This fiesta takes place every year in La Mola. It is one of the most significant fiestas, since every type of materials and objects are collected and piled up in order to burn them exactly at midnight. Thereby disappear all the harm that these objects carry. It is a kind of purification that will exist until the next Sant Joan night.
The festivity par excellence is Sant Jaume (Formentera's patron saint), on the 25th of July. This is a very important date since it is the day of Formentera's and Spain's patron saint. A great fiesta in San Francisco, the capital of Formentera, takes place. Almost all the inhabitants of Formentera and some tourists which want to enjoy this fiesta get together.
Santa Maria on the 5th of August, is a fiesta that has strongly reappeared in the last years. Each year the Santa Maria's fiesta takes place in a different town than the previous year. This fiesta is characterized by the local wine tasting competition organized by the islanders. This competition cheer up the spirits and prepare everyone for the night, when you can enjoy live music and very nice company.
La Virgen del Carmen takes place in La Savina and Es Pujols on the 16th of July. The Virgin Carmen is the patron saint of sea people. In order to honour the Virgin, a nautical procession is organized. Everyone who wants to can participate in this procession with his/her own boat. This day, situated in the middle of the summer calendar, is very important for those who feel that they are seamen. It is traditional at this date, approximately at seven in the afternoon, that all the boats leave the harbour in order to accompany the Virgen del Carmen until the open sea, where the seamen adore the Virgin throwing a flower crown into the water. After some religious words, a group of young people of Formentera dance the typical ball pagés over the very fishing boat which will get the Virgin back to solid ground. Afterwards, all the festive events will take place in the harbour of La Savina.
Procesión de barcos para el día del Carmen, patrona de los marineros.
Sant Ferran on the 30th of May. It is the patron saint of Sant Ferran de Ses Roques town.
Nuestra Señora del Pilar in La Mola, on the 12th of October, patron saint of La Mola.
Sant Francesc Xavier on the 3rd of December, the patron saint of the capital of the island.
These last three fiestas are, like their own names indicate, fiestas for the patron saints of every town. These fiestas, except for some distinctive detail, have a very similar festive events agenda during the day. In the morning, a mass is celebrated in the church, followed by some other religious and entertaining events. In the afternoon, the elders of the island and some tourists gather together in order to attend the "ballada", the typical "ball pagés" of Formentera (see folklore section). In the evening, exactly at midnight, there are fireworks and, afterwards, young people meet together and great bands play live music at the town's square. The fiesta continues until next morning.
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