Fiesta of the Patron Saint of Pollença: Moors and Christians

As from Wednesday, July 26 in Pollença there will be the festivities in honour of their patron saint, a civic-relgious celebration that dates from the first years of the Catalan conquest. The proclamation of the the fiestas by Professor Bota, a physician who teaches at the Barcelona University, will start the programme of fiestas that will continue until August 2.

The central event of the festivities is the Mock Battle between Moors and Christians, to commemorate the battle by the people of Pollença against 1,500 Moors led by the pirate, Dragut, that took place on May 30 in 1550. Pollença received on that day, the most important pirate attack they had ever experienced. The battle was won thanks to the help from Joan Mas, who went out in the main street (Calle Major), warned everyone of the danger and ran heroically into battle against his adversaries.

The mock battle was incorporated into the fiesta programme in the middle of the XIX century to recreate a historical fact that is very much in the memory of the people of Pollença. This created a very colourful and lively celebration that counts on the participation of practically the whole town, the Christians dressed in white and Dragut's followers in multicolours.

The celebration starts around 5 a.m. on August 2, after the dance, when the band place the "Alborada". All the town waits impatiently for this special moment. Throughout the day are held the Mass, the Oferta dels Cossiers and the Mock Battle. Once the battle is over, at about 9 p.m. all the Christians go to the church to sing the te-Deum and the hymn to the "mother of God of the Angels". Afterwards on leaving the church, the band plays the "Alborada" again and the fiesta finishes by singing the "Visca Pollença" followed by a great firework display.

On Friday, July 14, the elections were held to select the people to represent Joan Mas and Dragut, a popular event prior to the mock battle, that also plays an important part in the festive acts, as the decision is made to determine who will be the lucky ones to star in the performance.

More information about the history of the Festa dels Moros i Cristians on WebPollencina

More information about popular fiestas: www.vinedefesta.com

Datum: 14/07/2000

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