2025 Festa Fundraisers
Festa do Espírito Santo is a characteristic of life in the Azores , and has helped to develop a sense of community characteristic of the culture of the islands . Emigrants and their families in North America and Portugal often return to the islands to celebrate it.
In general, a child is crowned in the parish church, with a scepter and a silver plate as a symbol of the Holy Spirit , and presides over the festivities every Sunday for seven weeks after Easter . On the seventh Sunday of Pentecost , the day on which the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles , there is a great feast in the town.
The distribution of bread on the Feast of the Holy Spirit has its origins in the donation of food to the poor by Queen Saint Elizabeth.
Event:
Festa do Espírito Santo
Date:
June 12, 2020
Categories:
Charity
Tags:
Charity, Care
The Crown "Coroa"
The Crown has a double significance. First is represents the supreme dominion of the Holy Spirit. Second it reminds us of the royalty of Queen Saint Isabel.
The Scepter of the Crown is accented by a dove, the symbol of the Holy Spirit whose love was so manifest in the Queen’s life. Lastly, the Platter serves as a stand for the crown and scepter and represents the people.
On the last day of the celebrations, the seventh Sunday after Easter, a soup of the Holy Spirit is made with meat and vegetables and distributed with bread to all who do not belong to the local empire.
The center of the ceremonies is a small chapel or empire, used for the distribution of the Holy Spirit soup. It is there that the crown, plaque and scepter are displayed on the altar . The islanders gather for the feast, accompanied by bands , dancing and floral displays. In some places a bullfight is held on a rope.
The Feast of the Holy Spirit also takes place on the mainland in the town of Barrosas in the municipality of Felgueiras, in the district of Porto. It is a centuries-old religious ceremony. The Feasts in Honour of the Holy Spirit welcome visitors from all over the north of Portugal. It is usually held on the seventh Sunday after Easter. Music bands from various municipalities are invited. A procession is also held on the following Monday.
When we look back at our roots and festivities, it demonstrates an ability to ensure that we’re all in this together building a brighter and better future for our country and people.
Let's keep commerating
We strive to carry on the traditional ways while keeping up with the changes of time. Our community stays true to the traditions and we will continue to preserve our cultural heritage for this generation and those to come.
