Mallorca • Issue No. 2012 • 25 - 31 January 2024
Descent of the Crow
ANIMAL lovers tended to criticise some Spanish customs where animals were cast down from church steeples but one town has a much happier tradition. In the town of Mancor de la Vall, large crowds gathered to see the ‘Baixada del Corb’ (Descent of the Crow) on Sunday January 21. The tradition looks back to a passage from the Bible in which Saint Paul and Saint Anthony found themselves in the desert with no food and miraculously a crow found them and delivered food. Although this is a long-standing event, for the past two years, a trained crow called Llorenç has flown from the church steps but this year, for the first time, owner and trainer, Jaume Alvarez took him up to the top of the church and he flew straight down to perch on the arm of Jaume’s daughter Maria Antònia to great applause. With a population of less than 1,500 this is a popular spot for tourists to visit as it is only around 40 kilometres from the airport. Not only is this a popular annual event, but there is now a proposal from the local mayor that it should officially be recognised as an Event of Cultural Interest.
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LUNAR NEW YEAR Seeing clearly
Credit: Palma Council
Presenting the Year of the Dragon.
John Smith ON Friday January 19, the President of the Chinese Association of the Balearic Islands, (ACHINIB) Fanh Ji announced the Chinese New Year Programme. The actual start of the New Year is February 10, but the announcement was made to coincide with the launch of a special ONCE lottery ticket celebrating the Lunar New Year of the Dragon with results due on February 8. Also in attendance at the ceremony held in the Cort (home of the Palma council) were Mayor Jaime Martínez and representatives of the ONCE charity. The main celebration
will take place in Palma on Sunday February 11 and there will be a selection of stalls and cultural events being held in Pere Garau a move to a larger area than 2023 and there is a possibility of a drone display and no doubt a dragon dance with many people decked out in lucky red. With an estimated 3,500 Chinese residents in Palma, this is an opportunity for many of them
to get together and share their culture with other nationalities. According to tradition, those born in the Year of the Dragon are said to be blessed with power, vigour, and charm as well as being born leaders who encourage and inspire others. Dragons are recognised for their intelligence and loyalty but be careful as they can be sly.
IN 1998, Mallorcan born ophthalmologist Luis Salvá Ladaria created a special charity arm of his optician’s practice now known as Fundación Oftalmèdic Salvà. Credit: Cáritas Mallorca Facebook As time passed, so his business expanded Renewal of the agreement. across Spain and the Foundation has two main aims, firstly to ensure that those who can’t afford expensive treatment or spectacles are looked after and secondly to raise awareness in society about the importance of prevention of eye diseases and especially blindness , since three quarters of cases can be reversible or treatable. In 2010 an agreement was reached with Cáritas Mallorca to extend access to ‘Una Mirada Local’ which offers ophthalmic care to those in need in Mallorca and this agreement has now been renewed for yet another year. This means those who literally can’t afford the cost of eye care cam, though the offices of Cáritas Mallorca approach the Foundation for help and where necessary treatment.