Portugal has a lot of holidays. National holidays, regional holidays, holy holidays. I guess when you’ve been a country for so long, and there’s no prohibition against mingling church and state, you have a great deal to commemorate.
This week hosted two such days of celebration – one national, and the other religious. I want to tell you about both.
Unlike many countries, the Portuguese like to observe their holidays on the actual date of when something happened. The only exception is when that date falls on a Sunday, in which case the holiday is celebrated the following day. June 10 is Portugal National Day. It began as one thing, but over the centuries has evolved into a much bigger thing. So, here’s what I know about PND. It was created to celebrate the life of Luis De Camoes. Since no one knows the date of his birth, the holiday is observed on the date of his death which occurred in 1580. Camoes was an adventurer and a poet. He wrote what is considered to be the greatest epic poem in Portuguese literature, depicting the fantastic feats of Portuguese explorers during the Age of Discoveries. Later, the day became a celebration of the Portuguese language, and after the Carnation Revolution in 1974, it became a way for Portuguese people living in communities around the world to remember and celebrate their heritage. In modern times, the President of Portugal names a different city or town each year to host the national celebration. There, the day is filled with parades, fireworks, speeches, food festivals, and other typical summer activities. Like many holidays, there is specific food associated with it, including the traditional bacalhau. This is salted cod, first invented by early sailors as a way to preserve fish for a long journey. On this holiday, most restaurants offer a version of bacalhau a bras, which is the fish mixed with eggs, potatoes, onions, garlic, and olives.
Because we don’t live in the city that hosted the celebrations this year, the only observance we noted was the closure of banks, postal service, and Portuguese restaurants. Still, it was fun to learn about it.
June 13 brought the annual celebration of Lisbon’s favorite religious holiday, The Festival of the Popular Saints. (Even in the rarefied world of saints, the popular ones have all the fun.) This holiday allows the good people of Lisbon and its surrounding towns to party in the name of the cities’ patron saints. In Lisbon, it is St. Antonio; Cascais celebrates St. Peter, and in Estoril, St. John claims the attention. The tradition I found most interesting is the Lisbon practice of choosing 16 women to be the Brides of St. Antonio. These are actual engaged women who, along with their intended grooms, apply for this very special honor. Couples must have a compelling story that wows the judges. Perhaps a tale of meeting in a most unusual way, or one of overcoming impossible odds in an age-old story of love conquering all. However they are chosen, all of the couples are married in a huge ceremony (a massive mass?) in the Church of Saint Antonio on June 13. All the chosen couples are feted and honored with lots of media coverage, a huge communal reception, and, through corporate sponsorship, lots of loot. Couples may receive furniture or major appliances, cash, free wedding rings, or any manner of riches.
Is it cynical of me to note on this romantic day of weddings that St. Antonio is the saint of lost causes?
Anyway, aside from the super-hype of the Brides, the rest of the local population celebrates with fish. Specifically sardines. These fish – a particular favorite of the Portuguese people – are only permitted to be fished in the months of June, July, and August. Because the season is short, the Portuguese waste no time in making the most of it. I’ve learned from books, videos, and local lore, that nearly every restaurant and private home in Lisbon has a charcoal grill set up by their front door for the sole purpose of grilling sardines to sell to the public. Hordes of tourists roam the streets, buying the culinary treats from whichever vendor happens to be within reach. I’ve also been told that since the fish are grilled whole and intact, there’s a special skill required to eat them whereby the flavorful flesh doesn’t become entangled with… fish guts. I had one thought when I heard these stories. “Wow! Walking up steep hills paved in stone, being bumped and jostled by millions of hot and hungry tourists while dissecting a hot, oily fish on a paper plate! Nope!”
Our friend Melodie had planned a cookout on her terrace this week to pay homage to the saints and the sardines. She’d planned the event so that her local friends could meet her parents who are visiting from France. The best day for all turned out to be Tuesday, June 11. Sadly, the local fish market was closed on Monday for Portugal National Day, so Melodie was unable to buy sardines. I must confess, I can’t image I would have enjoyed them as much as I did the delicious tapas she served instead.
With all I’ve learned about the Festival of the Popular Saints, I’m already making plans for next year – to stay far away from Lisbon!