Spring and summer festivals in Portugal!
One of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe is a little nation on the Iberian Peninsula’s Atlantic coast. This is Portugal, a nation known for its many festivals and fairs and for upholding the long-standing customs and culture of its citizens. The best coffee in Europe is still served entirely in cups here, where you can still see ladies walking around with shopping baskets on their heads. Here, traditional crafts like fishing, manufacturing textiles, and making wine are still thriving.
1. May: Festa das Cruzes, Barcelos
The Festival of the Crosses, or Festa das Cruzes, is the biggest annual occasion in Barcelos, Minho. Its beginnings can be traced to the 16th century, when a cobbler perceived a cross-shaped pattern on the ground and understood it as a manifestation of the divine. The celebration, which until the 19th century was solely religious, drew pilgrims from all around Portugal. Today, the holiday is marked by parades of locals dressed in traditional attire, circus acts, horse races, and fireworks.
2. 13th May: Peregrinaço de Fátima, Fatima
The most well-known Christian pilgrimage in Portugal is the Peregrinaço de Fátima. Three children miraculously encountered the Virgin Mary on May 13, 1917, in Fatima, now known as Leiria-Fatima. More apparitions started to appear elsewhere later that same year. It appears that a sizable proportion of site visitors saw this. There are a ton of pilgrims that come here all year long, but 13 May is the most significant day. On May 12, the town holds a candlelight parade that descends to the sanctuary. The congregation brings a figure of the Virgin Mary from the high altar to the Chapel of the Apparitions during the Adeus (farewell) procession the following day, as many cry and wave white handkerchiefs. In October, a second pilgrimage takes place.
3. June: Rock in Rio, Lisbon
This is among the greatest music festivals in Portugal and is based on its well-known Brazilian cousin, Rock in Rio. The two-weekend, four-day music event in Lisbon’s Bela Vista Park features performances on the World Stage, Electronic Tent, and Hot Stage by well-known DJs and performers from around the globe.
4. June: Porto’s Festa de So Joo
Since more than 600 years ago, Porto has celebrated this event on June 23 in honor of Saint John the Baptist. In the afternoon, street parties and music start, and the celebration lasts well into the night. Partygoers enjoy a midnight firework display and sky light and balloon releases. They keep having fun till the sun comes up. People use plastic hammers to hit each other over the head as part of the festivities. Additionally, young men hurl garlic flowers in the direction of attractive women.
5. July: Festival of the Tabuleiros, Tomar
During the first two weeks of July, girls march through Tomar’s streets as part of the legendary Festa dos Tabuleiros (Festival of the Trays). The procession is the biggest and most impressive in Tomar, where it is also known as Festa do Divino Espirito Santo (Feast of the Holy Spirit). But it only happens once every four years. The girls walk in couples while wearing tabuleiros, which are bread headdresses made from stacks of bread embellished with flowers, a crown, and a bird or heavenly sphere. In addition to the main parade, there are several typical processions.
Enjoy the most beautiful events and festivals from Portugal with your family and friends, always relying on Low Cost Transfers’ services for high quality and easy rides, discovering and sharing new experiences and unforgettable moments!
