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Traditional festival in Mallorca

Sant Antoni de Manacor

At a glance

Sant Antoni danced and sung: the dimonis represent the temptations of Sant Antoni in the streets for two days. The Dimoni Gros is the central figure.

Festivals
Traditional festival in Mallorca
Words
ball dels dimonis, Completes**, **goigs**, **beneïdes, Dimoni Gros, dimonis petits, sonadors
Events
3
Red dimoni mask in the foreground
Red dimoni mask in the foreground — Ara Balears, © titular; ús editorial pendent de permís, Ara Balears

What is

Sant Antoni danced and sung: the dimonis represent the temptations of Sant Antoni in the streets for two days. The Dimoni Gros is the central figure.

On i quan

  • Manacor, January 16 and 17. The Patronat de Sant Antoni promotes recovery and conservation.

Personatges and objects

How is

  • Departure of dimonis and sonadors (in 2019, from Cas Baciner at 2:15 p.m.).
  • First ball of the dimonis in front of the Old Town Hall or in the Plaza Ramon Llull, depending on the season.
  • Completes and goigs in the parish of Nostra Senyora dels Dolors, with choirs and Municipal Band; In 2024 almost 1,500 people tried to enter.
  • First bonfire in front of the Rectory; Foguerons night in neighborhoods.
  • Day 17: beneïdes and carrosses parade.

Vocabulary

  • Dimoni Gros: the main dimoni.
  • dimonis petits: those who accompany him.
  • ball dels dimonis: dance that opens the party.
  • sonadors: musicians.
  • Completes, goigs, beneïdes: see sa Pobla .

History

  • 18th century: the dimoni appears documented in Manacor, linked to the Sant Joan dance; Its passage to Sant Antoni dates back to the end of the 19th century. XIX, after the prohibitions of these figures in the Corpus Christi (study collected by Alcúdia, 2011).
  • 1991: the same person has worn the Dimoni Gros since that year (Última Hora, 2024).
  • 2023: first woman under the dress of a dimoni petit (Magdalena Pérez).
  • 2026: the dimonis make the journey without dancing in front of the Town Hall, as a sign of mourning.

Protection

  • Without BICIM declaration located (to verify in the Consell registry).

Why is it design

  • Street theater with a fixed script: temptation, dance, defeat; the people know the choreography.
  • Unique and transmitted figure: a single Dimoni Gros; The mask is a piece of heritage (in 2024 there was controversy over whether the photographed mask and dress were replicas).

For the project

  • Ask the Patronat who makes the masks and with what material.
  • Read the work of Francesc Alemany Sureda (UB) on the dimoni of Manacor.

Frequently asked questions

What is Sant Antoni de Manacor?

Sant Antoni danced and sung: the dimonis represent the temptations of Sant Antoni in the streets for two days. The Dimoni Gros is the central figure.

What are the traditional words for Sant Antoni de Manacor?

Some words: ball dels dimonis, Completes**, **goigs**, **beneïdes, Dimoni Gros, dimonis petits, sonadors.

Sources

Working text from the Disseny Indígena knowledge base, machine-translated from Spanish.

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