Andrew EdePalma10/04/2020 09:37
TW
0

I suppose you can understand town halls being reluctant to call off fiestas, if they believe that there is just a slight possibility that they might go ahead. But in the case of Soller and next month’s Firó, how can the town hall even possibly contemplate it taking place?

The Moors and Christians battle is scheduled for the eleventh of next month, just over four weeks from now. Regardless of what slight relaxations the Spanish government may decree at the end of this month, the prime minister has let it be known that the state of alarm will continue into May, and you can be certain that there isn’t about to be relaxation to such a degree that hundreds of people will be able - in just over four weeks time - to gather in the square for the climax of the battle. Or indeed for any of the preliminaries. But would anyone really want to participate anyway? The celebrated brave women of Soller wouldn’t be brave, they’d be downright foolhardy.

When will it be safe to have such gatherings? Who can say, but the government is going to be very cautious, especially because of the fuss about the International Women’s Day marches and rallies a week before the state of alarm was declared.

Other town halls have called off fairs, including Sineu and its May fair, the oldest fair in Majorca. There’s no point in Soller procrastinating. The Firó ain’t gonna happen.