Portugal brims with medieval monasteries, exquisite castles and elaborate frescoes that date from the 12th and 13th centuries. An interesting side note is the Anglo-Portugese Alliance (termed, The Treaty of Windsor) which was signed in 1373 and apparently is the longest-standing alliance currently in the world today. I digress…
Today Portugal has a rich heritage of local festas, romarias/pilgrimages and carnivals. Within this deeply Catholic country every village and town has a patron saint which is lovingly honoured and exquisitely celebrated with great gusto. In fact Portugal is THE FESTIVAL COUNTRY OF THE WORLD and the wearing of “Bread Hats” at the Festa das Fogaceiras symbolises thanks and guardianship to their honoured patron, St. Sebastian.
The Festa das Fogaceiras is held in Santa Maria De Feira on the 20th of January every year. Dominating the skyline is the magnificent Santa Maria de Feira’s castle with its four beautifully domed towers. The Festa celebrates a vow taken by St. Sebastian during the sixteenth century when a plague beset the local village. It is said that St. Sebastian cured the villagers and promised to ward off any future infectious diseases.
The Fogaceiras are the young of the village who walk down the street dressed in white with decorated baskets filled with cakes and breads that sit atop their heads. These “bread hats” symbolise favourable harvests and bountiful produce bringing well-being and good health to the peoples of the village for the coming year.
With the traditional religious festivals dominating the geography of Portugal, new festivals such as music, film, food and event festivals help boost tourism within the larger populous areas. Common to all festivities are the local wines and traditional breads which make celebrating festivals in Portugal such a wonderful social events for all ages and all communities.
Tags: bread hats, Festa das Fogaceiras, Portugese Festival, Santa Maria de Feira, St. Sebastian