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Ibiza Traditions & Customs
Many of the older generation of the Ibicencan
country folk still wear their traditional costumes, in the
villages, towns and the countryside, especially on a Sunday
when they take a great deal of pride in their appearance when
they go out to the their local parish to attend church.
The women's dress is particularly noteworthy,
with several petticoats worn one over the other and down to
the ankles produce a crinoline effect to the outer skirt and
apron. These are invariably black, as is also the blouse,
which surmounts it. Over this is worn a beautiful hand embroidered
shawl with a silk fringe. On festive occasions the head is
covered with an attractive scarf, short enough to display
the long dark plait of hair tied with brightly coloured silk
ribbon. In the fields a large soft straw sombrero is worn
over the headscarf to give added protection against he sun.
The men's dress is much more typical European,
but mainly black and usually includes a beret or a soft black
felt or straw hat of the Panama type.
The children will also stand out and attract
your admiration for the spotless, dainty way in which they
are turned out, both in their school uniforms and in their
day to day clothes. It is usual for the little girls to have
their ears pierced and gold sleepers or small rings inserted
shortly after they learn to walk.
However, over the years and with the influx
of more and more foreigners to the island and the consequent
employment of so many of the local boys and girls into tourism
the younger generation has now discarded its national costume
for the more orthodox dress.
Nevertheless, one aspect of the legendary
traditions of the Ibicencans has been preserved and can still
be witnesses in the folklore displays which are still given
at all the annual town Fiestas.
This presents the dancing troupe an opportunity
to exhibit their ancient national dress in all its resplendence.
Fewer spectaculars perhaps are the dancing itself. Moorish
in character and repetitive in execution. The leader playing
a shepherd's flute in one hand and beating a drum with the
other provides the rhythm. In a number of the dances the troupe
supplements the rhythm with large castanets, the size of their
hands. Equally unusual, but eerie and moving in its simplicity,
is an ancient Ibicencan love song given by two of the older
members of the party.
Apart from dress one of the most impressive
reminders of this bye-gone age is in some of the ancient techniques
employed on the farms and in the fields of the beautiful Ibicencan
countryside. Manpower and horsepower are still the driving
forces in certain parts of this wonderful way of life.
This of course enables the farmers to work
the smallest plots of land, some of which would be inaccessible
to anything so modern as a tractor. You will see the skilful
terracing on the side of the hills supported by solid stone
walls. This not only levels the ground but prevents the soil
from being washed away by the rains.
Horses are used for ploughing, harrowing
and rolling. In the later case a large flat plank or even
an old gate is often used for the purpose, tethered to the
horse on either side by a stout rope. Standing in the middle
of the plank the driver maintains a precarious balance hanging
on to the horse's tail in order to control it and at the same
time, adding weight to the roller.
Another interesting sight is that of threshing
and winnowing the corn. After cutting the corn by hand it
is then laid out on the threshing floor. This comprises a
large circular area of hard ground or concrete. A horse is
used to trample the corn by plodding slowly round in circles,
controlled by a man in the centre, until all the grain has
been expelled. The straw is then removed with forks and the
wind left to blow away the chaff. You will see a number of
these threshing floors around the island though with the innovation
of the threshing machine fewer are being used year by year.
Circular hors driven water pumps are also still in evidence.
Windmills however first replaced the majority of these and
then these gave way to electric motors.
In days gone by horses and carts were used
both for personal transportation and for delivery of products,
which although abundant in many parts of the island is now
insufficient to supply the needs of the tourist.
Without irrigation the crops would be not
only sparse but also poor in quality on this sun-drenched
island. Therefore, for this reason land irrigation has been
developed to a fine art throughout the centuries. You will
scarcely fail to notice the concrete water ducts fed from
large depositories, which are used so extensively in the fields
throughout the island.
Completion: Some of these remarkable Ibicencan
ways of life will hopefully continue for a long time. Others
unfortunately, are already dying out far too rapidly as modern
civilization extends its inexorable trends more over the island.
May we enjoy it, as it is, as long as possible?
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