Llucmajor celebrates 477 years of fairs

Another year comes round, it is time for Michaelmas and the fiestas for Sant Miquel, and so Llucmajor announces how many years it has been holding the Sant Miquel-related fairs.

This year is the 477th anniversary. Yes, the fairs have been going since 1546, made famous because Inca and Sineu tried to prevent Llucmajor having fairs before the Holy Roman Emperor Carlos V (and King Carlos I of Castile and Aragon) intervened and wished the "fairs of King Carlos" to be like no other in the Kingdom of Mallorca.

This is why Llucmajor makes such a big deal of the anniversary. Like Inca, it has four fairs, the first of which is on the day of Sant Miquel (September 29) and highlights the dances of what is believed to be the oldest of Mallorca's folk dance troupes - the Cavallets Cotoners.

The second fair (Saturday and Sunday) is certainly unlike most other fairs in current-day Mallorca. Frikijor is dedicated to all things rather freaky.