Sant Honorat becomes an 'influencer' to explain the festival

AlgaidaSaint Honorat is the patron saint of Algaida. We don't know if it was the erroneous speech by the parish priest of Llucmajor last year at the solemn mass for Saint Honorat's Day, in which he confused Saint Honorat of Amiens with Saint Honorat of Arle, the patron saint of Algaida. But the fact is that these days an Instagram account has appeared with the title Sant Honorat Patró (Saint Honorat Patron) that aims to promote, publicize, and provide information about the figure of Algaida's patron saint and the winter festival itself.

Saint Honorat has entered InstagramAnd it has done so with the intention of educating the public, but also with a good dose of humor. The profile @sant_honorat_patro, created by Pere Sales Mascaró, explains the Sant Honorat festival in Algaida with illustrations, historical facts, and curiosities that go far beyond the festive calendar.

Sales explains that the initiative arose "partly for fun and partly from seeing the lack of awareness surrounding the festival." According to her, "people don't know who Saint Honoratus is," despite him being the town's patron saint. From this observation, the account has become a tool for providing context and explaining the origins of many of the traditions associated with the celebration. The profile combines historical content—such as the origin of the cult of Saint Honoratus, his arrival in Algaida, and his connection to Mount Randa—with more popular and everyday aspects. The first post was dedicated to toast: what can be toasted, what can't, how to make it, and what practices are part of the tradition. Sales explains that she also wanted to highlight the evolving nature of the festival. "Now Sant Honorat is a more democratic festival; the town has embraced it." As he recalls, this change began in 1979. Before, the celebration was practically limited to "mass and a glass of mistela at the Town Hall." Today, however, Sant Honorat is experienced in the streets. The open-air dance with bonfires and toasts, the presence of the cossiers (traditional figures), popular participation, and the festive atmosphere are all part of a celebration that has gone from being institutional to fully popular. The Instagram account tells the story in a simple and visual style, designed to reach audiences of all ages. With just a few posts, @sant_honorat_patro has already become a small digital archive of the festival, a different—and modern—way of explaining a deeply rooted tradition. Sant Honorat, at least in Algaida, is no longer just celebrated: it's also shared, discussed, and made. scroll.