Les Verges in Mallorca: the tradition of fritters, carnations, and serenades

There are dates you recognize by the aroma coming from kitchens. In Mallorca, the days around October 21st carry the scent of freshly made bunyols. These fritters are part of Les Verges, a celebration where music, courtship, and the custom of opening your home to share something sweet come together.

Its story begins the night before, with songs beneath windows and carnations changing hands. Getting to know it allows you to get closer to a Mallorca that also reveals itself through its small rituals.

When is Les Verges celebrated in Mallorca?

The day of Les Verges is October 21st, the feast day of Saint Ursula. The traditional celebration begins on the eve, the night of October 20th, known as sa Revetla de les Verges.

That is when the serenades dedicated to young unmarried women used to take place. The Town Hall of Porreres records this distinction between the night of songs and the day of the feast, and notes that the musical custom has endured with changes.

The night of October 20th: songs and carnations

In times past, young men would walk through the villages to sing outside the homes of young women. A door, a window, or a balcony could become the stage for a declaration of intentions.

Carnations, especially red ones, accompanied the songs. Those who received the visit would offer bunyols and sweet wine to the singers: music and flowers in exchange for an invitation to stay a while.

Practices varied depending on the place and era, but that combination of serenades, carnations, and sweets is one of the most recognizable images of the celebration.

The bunyols of Les Verges: the flavor of Mallorcan autumn

The Mallorcan fritters associated with Les Verges are usually made with potato, sweet potato, or a mixture of both, along with flour and yeast. The dough is left to ferment and shaped by hand before frying, creating their characteristic central hole.

They are served freshly made, usually with sugar, although they are also accompanied by honey. Recipes change from house to house: some incorporate egg or lard, while others use different proportions.

During these dates, the figure of the bunyoleres takes center stage, women who traditionally prepared and sold fritters on the street or in the doorways of their homes. Their presence is tied to autumn, and the bunyols season extends until dates close to All Saints' Day.

Why is it called Les Verges?

The name comes from the Christian celebration of Saint Ursula and the so-called Eleven Thousand Virgins.

It is worth distinguishing the religious tradition from verifiable history: the tale of the eleven thousand companions belongs to a medieval legend. The Diccionari català-valencià-balear also records this. That tradition gives its name to the Mallorcan festival, which over time developed its own customs of courtship and celebration.

How to experience this tradition during a stay in Mallorca

If you visit Mallorca around October 20th and 21st, look for bunyols in shops and stalls that prepare them during these dates. Buying them freshly made and sharing them is a simple way to take part in the celebration.

To hear serenades, check the program of the municipality where you are staying: their presence and format may vary each year. There is no single identical celebration across the entire island.

At Annua, we are interested in those customs that let you know a place from the inside. During a stay at Son Xotano or Gran Hotel Margalida, Les Verges can be the starting point for discovering another side of Mallorca: that of its kitchens, its songs, and its ways of welcoming.

Because sometimes an island begins to be understood through something as simple as a fritter still warm.

Discover our hotels in Mallorca and prepare your next stay with Annua.