Formentera Fiesta

Ibiza	Fiestas

Fiesta July 25th

July 25th is the Fiesta de Santiago, a national holiday throughout Spain, which has its roots way back in highly religous legend. However, in Formentera it is known as the Fiesta Sant Jaume (St. James' day) and has its roots in much more recent history. Unusually these roots have no religious connotations and pay little homage to the 'saint behind the day'. This is how it came about:-

For many centuries, since Formentera was abandoned in the 14th century during the Black Death, pirates ruled the waves around the Pitiusan islands (Ibiza & Formentera) and made Formentera too risky a place to live. Even after the Ibicenco corsairs had more or less beaten off the pirates, they were still not entirely eradicated which meant that travelling to and from Formentera was not the pleasant afternoon out that we enjoy today - it was a life and death venture.

However, during the 18th century families slowly trickled back to stake their claims on the little island and by the middle of the century there were some 200 people living there. As it happens many of those brave souls came from the Santa Eulalia area of Ibiza where, for some reason, there was an inordinately high concentration of men called Jaume (James?). For this reason many of Formentera's new settlers were called Jaume - some had Jaume for a surname too.

Late July was a relatively quiet time in the agricultural calendar and is even today. The fruit has already been harvested and the wheat has still to ripen. In addition to this the summer sea is at its calmest and most inviting for a boat trip. There was only one thing for a self respecting, sensible Ibicenco to do given this fortuitous situation - jump in a boat and pay a visit to the friends and family in Formentera? The perfect day usually selected for this visit was, of course, San Jaume and before long the spontaneous visits coalesced into an official holiday.

What a good reason for a fiesta? the re-uniting of long lost loved ones..... (church optional)