Son Fornés in Montuiri, one of many prehistoric sites in Majorca. | Joan Sitges

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Majorca Day is to be celebrated for the first time on 31 December this year, the decision having been made to switch it from 12 September.

The Council of Majorca, responsible for its celebration, has opted to include activities that go further back into history than the arrival in Palma of the Aragonese-Catalan forces under King Jaume I on 31 December, 1229. It is therefore going to be emphasising the island's prehistoric Talayotic culture. There will be six days of guided tours of fifteen sites.

Marc Andreu Herrera, the director for institutional relations at the Council, says that the tours will help the public gain a greater appreciation of this prehistory, which is "unknown by many". The tours will be on 8 and 9 and 16 and 17 December, and there will be two more over the Christmas period just prior to 31 December. In addition to seeing excavations at first hand, the public will also be able to appreciate the archaeological advances that have been made in recent years.

The Council president, Miquel Ensenyat, is a great enthusiast of Majorca's Talayotic prehistory, while one of the two vice-presidents, Jesús Jurado, is himself an archaeologist.

Other activities include the Council's award-giving, which will be at Palma's Teatre Principal on 29 December. Council representatives will also be taking part in the floral ceremony for the Festival of the Standard on 30 December, which is an event organised by Palma town hall.