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“Para comerselas!” (What locals exclaim when seeing cute kids in their fancy outfits: “So sweet you wish you could eat them.”)

Once a year, the centre of Palma turns into one gigantic hotpot of extraterrestrial and fairy tale life. Sa Rueta, the capital’s children’s carnival, is not only a favourite with families for being an occasion for the little ones to put on a fancy dress and turn into their favourite heroines and heroes for a day. What is the biggest fun for all is the taking over of the city and turning it into an otherworldly playground.

When? #

The date of carnival is determined by the date of Easter. Mardi Gras is 47 days before Easter. Easter is the first Sunday after the Paschal full moon, or ecclesiastical full moon. So, every year the dates of the processions change. This year, the dates are set by the local municipalities as events are held online/virtually. Sa Rueta is 11 a 14h on 27 February. But be sure to check with your local Ajuntament for exact dates and times near you.

What? #

For those unfamiliar with the local lingo: “Sa Rueta” is the diminutive of “Sa Rua”, as the grown-ups’ carnival procession is called that traditionally takes place on the weekend following the little ones’. The only thing small at Sa Rueta, however, are the protagonists of the show – well, most of them. Every year there are reported sightings of granddads wearing butterfly wings, dads dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood with a little two-legged wolves at their heels and whole families of dinosaurs. Even dogs, dolls and teddy bears walk through town in disguise.

Robert Holland and John Hutson joined in the fun for us. Look and see who they met on their way. This video is from 2019, to keep our memories strong for the full celebrations in 2022.