Snowed Under in Palma

Every year, thousands of Germans leave the Christmas markets behind them and head for
Majorca. Just like home, except the weather is better. Usually anyway.

This year, it could be different. looks like Germans might be swapping snow capped Christmas trees for a white Christmas under palm trees.

A bit of a downer, because the sun is basically why Majorca is Germany’s favorite holiday destination. And because they play German pop music in the bars.

Majorcans have mostly taken this in their stride. The Franco regime and the civil war had left Spain in tatters. Majorca’s re-discovery as a non-stop party island German style, made many Spaniards rich.

Catering for bucket shop tourists however, has meant putting up with German pop music at full volume. But that is business.

The Germans have bought about 30 percent of the island, and that is as audible as it is visible. Majorca pop is the Germans very own genre in Balearic music. In bars like "Ballermann", titles like "Ich will zehn nackte Friseusen" (I want ten nude hairdressers) or "Hans mit dem dicken Dackel" (Hans with the fat Dachshund) are having their heyday.

The traditional Spanish way of celebrating Christmas is different of course.
The Three Kings on January 6 is Christmas Day in Spain. And that is when children get their presents. There are parades, processions and choir
performances.

By then, most of the bucket shop tourists will be nursing their hang-overs. Yet the prospect of a white Christmas on Majorca is so rare that it might convert the faithless. On the other hand, it might be mistaken as a sign that even the weather on Majorca is adapting to the German climate.