|
Main menu
search by city
|
|
January Epiphany. A cake in the shape of a king's crown bolo rei is traditionally eaten.
Festa das Fogaceiras. January 20 in Santa Maria da Feira. castle-shaped fogaça cakes carried by young girls to give thanks for good health.
February Torres carnival in Torres Vedras
Óbidos International Chocolate Festival February 14-24, 2008. http://www.festivalchocolate.cm-obidos.pt/
Carnaval. Rio-style carnival processions in Lisbon, Loule, Nazare and Viana do Castelo. Celebrations throughout Portugal.
March Tomar Lamprey Festival. Eel dishes are served in participating restaurants.
Agricultural festival of Beja with music, food and handicrafts. For 9 days
The Feira de Março in Aveiro from late March to late April is an historic festival now featuring folk and rock concerts.
Celebracoes da Semana Santa (Easter) in Obidos
April The Senhor Ecce Homo festival. Braga Easter festival with barefoot, torch-bearing, hooded penitants in a spooky procession through the town. In Porto on Passion Sunday (the second Sunday prior to Easter) there is a procession near the church of Nossa Senhora da Esperanca. Effigies of Judas are burnt
around the cathedral on Easter Day. Leiria, Marinha Grande and Pombal. Festival de Teatro Estremadura. Theater festival
May The Fatima romaris (pilgrimage) commemorates the apparition of the Virgin Mary.
Coimbra, the Queima das Fitas, drink-filled student festival with parades, fado and the burning of gowns.
Faro, international music festival through May/June.Barcelos, North of Porto, Festas das Cruzes, held over a week in with a procession and
handicraft fair.
June Corpo de Deus (Corpus Christi) festival with processions all over Portugal. Celebrates the Eucharist as the body of Christ byRomanCatholics.Falls between late May and the middle of June,
Feira Nacional da Agricultura in Santerem a 10-day festa. Starts the first week of June Horse-racing, bullfights and bull-running in the streets.
Lisbon Festa de Santo Antonio, celebrates the 'saint of love.' Newly- wed couples give thanks and singles pray for a match made in heaven.
Fundao, "cherry festival" music shows, guided visits to orchards and gastronomy displays.
Setubal international film festival - Festroia
June 23-24. Festa de Sao Joao (John the Baptist), big in Porto, Aveiro and Braga. In Porto there are large parties with people being hit on the head with harmless plastic hammers, great fun! In Braga there is music, dancing, processions and folk dramas.Rock in Lisbon, attracts some of the biggest names in music performing at the Parque the Bela Vista in Lisbon
Porto, June 29, The Festa de Sao Pedro (Saint Peter) is celebrated with music dancing and processions.
Porto beer festival. Jardim do Passeio Alegre, Foz do Douro.
July Festa dos Tabuleiros. Held every four years in Tomar (on the first weekend of the month - next in 2011). This pagan-inspired festa sees a procession of young girls, dressed in white, balancing large trays of bread on their heads.
Festival do Vinho in Bombarral. Traditional event, considered one of most important in Portugal brings together producers of national wines
The Festa do Colete Encanado held in Vila Franca de Xira has bull-running in the streets similar to the more famous festival in Spain's Pamplona with drunken youths running the bulls through the town's narrow streets.
Aveiro. Regatta of the Barcos Moliceiros, celebrates the heritage of local painted boats - moliceiros – from mid July to mid August
Caminha Vilar de Mouros music festival with bands from around the world.
Estoril's classical music festival runs through July and August.
Barcelos Festival de Folclore on the last Saturday of the month with traditional singing and dancing.
Faro Biker Rallye . One of Europe's biggest biker meets with rock music and a parade of motorbikes through the streets
August Peniche Festas da Nossa Senhora da Boa Viagem (1st Weekend)
Montejunto festival in Cadaval. Artisan festival of the Montejunto Sierra.
Viana do Castelo, The Romaria da Nossa Senhora da Agonía (Our Lady of Sorrows) around 20th August includes displays of local crafts, carnival giants (gigantones), local music and an impressive parade of floats.
Guimaraes. The Festas Gualterianas (St Walter). Held since 1452 on first weekend of August the celebrations include dancing, processions, feasting and drinking.
Lisbon's Ocean Festival, starts on the 2nd Saturday of every August celebrates the city's links with the high seas and provides a real insight into the city. Boat races and numerous special events.
Viseu, Feira de Sao Mateus, mid-August to its climax on 21st September (Dia do Sao Mateus). Agricultural fair with bullfights, fado and folk dancing.
Lamego The Festas de N.S. dos Remedios takes place from the end of August, ending on September 8th with one of Portugal’s most grand pilgrimages, the “Procissão do Triunfo.”
September Tomar. Ancient Music at the magnificent Convento de Cristo.
Leiria – Festival Regional de Gastronomia (Regional Festival of Gastronomy) and Theatre Festival of Leiria.
Marinha Grande and Pombal. Festival de Jazz da Alta Estremadura – jazz festival
Figueira da Foz (Beiras region) – Festival Internacional de cinema (International Film Festival)
Nossa Senhora de Piedade. Held on the first Sunday of the month in Tomar with a candle-lit procession of decorated floats.
The festival of Nossa Senhora da Nazre Romaria (September 8) is the biggest festival in Nazare. Expect to see a serious religious procession, bullfights and folk dancing in the evenings.
Alenquers Feira da Ascensao festivals in Sobral. the Summer Festival includes historical parade, bullfights, music shows and traditional games.
The Festas do Sao Paio in Aveiro features a traditional boat race on the northern lagoon.
Ponte de Lima's Feiras Novas (New Fairs) is an ancient 3-day affair dating from 1125 with music, dancing, processions and general merry-making.
Festa do Avante! Quinta da Princesa estate. Music and dance ranging from classical to Latin, jazz and pop, A Free festival for the people organised by the Portuguese Communist Party. Buçaco (Beiras region). Commemoration of the Battle of Buçaco. This event includes a market fair, an open-air Mass and historical reenactment of the Buçaco battle.
October Gastronomic Festival "Alvaiázere, Capital of the Chícharo"
The 'Miracle of the Sun' Pilgrimage to Fatima on 13th October celebrates the 1913 vision with thousands visiting Our Lady of Fatima's shrine to pray, seek spiritual grace, or miraculous cure.
The National Gastronomic Festival in Santarem. The festival began in 1980 and each day of the event is dedicated to a region and its food culture.
Seixal Jazz – Week long international Jazz festival on the banks of the river. There are also exhibitions and workshops,
Viseu (Beiras region) – Feira de São Mateus. Includes agriculture, cattle breeding, wine-growing, handicrafts and traditional dance.
November All Soul's Day (All Saints' Day) is a national holiday and celebrated often with processions across the country on November 1.
Golegã. St. Martin Fair & National Horse Fair. The most important horse fair in Portugal. The festival features equestrian games, competitions, exhibitions, parades and general bonhomie
São Martinho Day, 11th November,This holiday is celebrated all over Portugal,in memory of the saint who on a winter’s night shared his cape with a poor man.
Porto – Handicrafts Fair of Oporto -
December Independence Day, a public holiday on December 1, is usually celebrated with fireworks and joyous parties.
Porto . Festival Internacional de Marionetas (International Puppet Festival)
Marinha Grande. Feira de Artesanato e Gastronomia (Handicraft & Gastronomy Fair)
Dia do Natal (Christmas Day) on December 25 is a family festival with a tradition of burning an oak log to ensure good fortune.
Vespera de Ano Novo (New Year's Eve) is celebrated nationwide withfireworks, music and the eating of 12 grapes as the clocks strike midnight.
National Holidays
New Years Day - January 1
Carnaval Tuesday (February or March) - the day before Ash Wednesday Easter Good Friday (March or April)
Liberty Day - April 25 to celebrate the 1974 revolution
Labor Day - May 1
Corpus Christi (May or June) - the ninth Thursday after Easter
Portugal Day (Camoes/Community Day) - June 10
Assumption - August 15
Republic Day - October 5 commemorates the declaration of the Portuguese republic in 1910
All Saints' Day - November 1
Independence Day - December 1 celebrates the 1640 restoration of independence from Spain
Immaculate Conception - December 8
Christmas Day - Dec
|
|
| |
|
