Do you know how Halloween is celebrated in Portugal?
Believe it or not, Halloween is not an original American tradition. It was created in Europe over 2000 years ago by the Celtic people, and legend has it that from October 30th to November 2nd the dead returned to populate the land and turned into ghosts! People only dared to go out into the street masked by hauntings, to go unnoticed.
But, do you know what Halloween and All Saints have in common? Honestly, a fine line between Earth and Beyond. Know that the origin of the word "Halloween" comes from the expression "All Hallows Eve", that is, "Eve of All Saints".
Although people take advantage of the old day 1 holiday, All Saints Day (which coincidentally is also my birthday 🤫) or the Sunday closest to this day to honor the departed loved ones, the Day of the Dead it is officially the 2. With one small difference: is that the deceased are those who are in purgatory awaiting judgment before reaching heaven.
Detail, there is no biblical reference to All Saints' Day, that is, no passage in the Bible speaks clearly about the need to implement a day to celebrate the “heroes of faith”.
Another curiosity is that in Portugal, the 1st of November brings another milestone in history. It was on this day, in 1755, that a great earthquake shook Lisbon and destroyed a large part of the capital, when thousands of people attended masses on All Saints' Day. From then on, and to mark the date that destroyed the homes of several people, throwing them into poverty, children ran through the streets asking for “bread for God” to receive food.
Without departing from the theme, we suggest that you take advantage of the date for a different tour this weekend through the most frightening chapels and convents in the country. He packs his bags, gathers courage and embarks on a journey through places that could have come out of a horror movie.
Chapel of Bones, Évora
The Capela dos Ossos is one of the best known monuments in Évora, Portugal. It was built in the 17th century on the initiative of three Franciscan monks who, in the spirit of the time (religious counter-reform, according to the norms of the Council of Trent), intended to convey the message of the transience of life, as can be seen from the famous warning at the entrance: "We bones that are here for yours we wait".
Its walls and eight pillars are "decorated" with bones and skulls connected by brown cement. The vaults are plastered in white brick, painted with allegorical motifs of death. It is a monument of penitential architecture with arcades ornamented with rows of skulls, cornices and white naves. It was calculated around five thousand bones, including skulls, vertebrae, femurs and others, from cemeteries, located in churches and convents in the city, and which were connected with brown cement and are arranged on the walls, ceiling, columns and even outside . There are also two entire skeletons hanging by chains on one of the walls, one of them being a child.
Legend has it that several graves in nearby cemeteries were "robbed". Is it really true?
Monastery of Santa Maria de Seiça, Figueira da Foz
It is a monastery in Paião, Figueira da Foz in Portugal, founded around 1162 by D. Afonso Henriques. It has this name because it is located in the Ribeira de Seiça area.
Featuring austere lines, which are highlighted by their verticality and robustness, in keeping with the floor mannerism, the temple has a façade marked by the volumes of the lateral towers, with bulbous finishes, framing a central nucleus where the great architectural theme is it comes down to the application of colossal pilasters that unify the surface and give the entire frontispiece a certain majestic tone.
The transept space, which would be covered by a dome, as well as the chancel, were degraded after the departure of the monks, in 1834, being completely abandoned and at the mercy of bad weather and vandalism.
Since then, the monastery has suffered at the hands of men who only saw economic value in it. But to understand what happened, it is necessary to know the reasons that led to its devastation.
To cover the expenses with the Main Church, the Parish Council of Nossa Senhora do Ó do Paião received the church and the monastery of the extinct Monastery of Santa Maria de Seiça, in 1861, which, as a result of the expulsion of the monks from Cister , was doomed to abandonment without any use that would somehow guarantee its preservation.
In 1895 the Parish Council sold the Monastery of Seiça to private individuals and in 1911 the Monastery was sold again. The new owners transformed the Igreja do Cenobio into an industrial unit for husking rice, which ended its operation around 1976.
In 2002 the monastery was classified as a Building of Public Interest and in 2004 the deed of purchase of the Monastery of Seiça was signed by the Municipality of Figueira da Foz.
On April 19, 2021, the Municipality of Figueira da Foz awarded the contract for the rehabilitation and consolidation of the monastery, budgeted at around 2.7 million euros to the company Teixeira Duarte. The works will allow for the consolidation of the ruined monumental façade of the church, and the rehabilitation of the adjacent monastic building.
Among the legends and myths associated with the monastery, now abandoned, there are those who say that noises are heard and sudden changes in temperature are felt when visiting it.
Convent of Mafra, Mafra
The Mafra National Palace, also known as Mafra Convent, is located in the municipality of Mafra, in the district of Lisbon, in Portugal, about 25 kilometers from Lisbon. It is made up of a palace and a convent, in Baroque style, with Roman and German influences, which are associated with a garden and a roof. The construction work began in 1717 on the initiative of King João V, in virtue of a promise he made in the name of the descendants he would obtain from Queen Maria Ana of Austria.
The building was designed by João Frederico Ludovice, a goldsmith, architect and Swabian military engineer, and built by the chief engineer Custódio Vieira, and occupies an area of approximately four hectares. Together with Jardim and Tapada, this former royal property covers around 1,200 hectares.
It comprises about 1,200 rooms, more than 4,700 doors and windows, 156 staircases and 29 patios and halls.
It is classified as a National Monument since 1907 and inscribed on the World Heritage List by UNESCO in 2019, being part of the cultural site designated as the Royal Building of Mafra, comprising the palace, basilica (with a set of 6 organs and 2 chimes ), convent (which includes the library), Jardim do Cerco and covered. Its construction is the subject of the work Memorial do Convento, by José Saramago.
Famous not only for its history, but also and especially for the many legends it is associated with. Those who visit the palace say they hear strange noises that, over the years, have been the subject of countless explanations. From mutant rats that live in the dungeons, to the ghosts of former workers who died there during the construction of the monument, there are certain to be several theories that indicate that the convent is haunted.
Convent of Capuchos, Sintra
Convento dos Capuchos (although also called Convento da Santa Cruz) is a former convent of the Order of São Francisco located in Serra de Sintra, in the parish of São Martinho, municipality of Sintra, district of Lisbon, Portugal.
According to the legend, during a hunt in the Sintra Mountains, when in pursuit of a deer, the 4th Viceroy of India, D. João de Castro, got lost and fell asleep with fatigue under a boulder. In a dream, the need to erect a Christian temple in that place was then revealed to him.
He died later (1548), without having had the opportunity to fulfill this obligation, he passed it on to his son. Thus, a convent of Franciscan friars of the strictest observance of the Province of Arrábida was founded in 1560 by D. Álvaro de Castro, Councilor of State to Sebastião I of Portugal and administrator of the Treasury.
The primitive community was made up of eight friars, the best known being Friar Honório who, according to legend, lived until close to 100 years of age, despite having spent the last three decades of his life doing penance in a small cave. inside the convent fence. According to legend, one day he crossed paths with the Devil in the form of a woman wandering the convent gardens. The girl asked him to confess, insistently without success, and the friar, feeling tempted by the devil, covered his face with one hand and, with the other, made the sign of the cross. The woman screamed and fled and, even though he never sinned, Friar Honório shut himself in a cave, with bread and water, as a penance until the end of his days. Does his spirit still haunt the Convento dos Capuchos today? Nothing like a visit to confirm, right?
It is open to visits, while restoration work is taking place on the paths and Conventual Fence.
But what parties are there in Portugal on that day?
Village of Partridges (Montalegre)
The mystical village of Vilar de Perdizes, municipality of Montalegre, celebrates Halloween on the last day of this month. A different night that reinforces the county's tourist offer while promoting local cuisine.
The night of the beams is celebrated, when the boys steal straw from people and go up into the hills to scream to scare away the spirits, witches and demons. The mystical village of Vilar de Perdizes, municipality of Montalegre, celebrates Halloween on the last day of this month. A different night that reinforces the county's tourist offer while promoting local cuisine.
To access the full schedule, click here.
Goat and Left Handed Party (Bragança)
This festival has a strong Celtic influence and it is customary to light a bonfire to celebrate the 31st of October. The village of Cidões recreates a ritual of the Night of the Witches, inspired by the old festivities;
The tradition dictates that a large bonfire be made with the left-hand or trunk. The left-hander and all the wood that burns in this fire must be stolen, because if it is not stolen, it will not burn. In this fire a goat will be cooked in large pots, while roasted chestnuts, dried figs and walnuts will be eaten.
That night, the village is turned upside down, because the boys will steal the flower pots and spread them out on the streets, turning the ox carts and animal carts upside down. That night, an ox cart also drives through the village, pulled by the boys, with its tuners tight to sing loudly and not let anyone sleep. It is a place for partying and socializing, news of absent friends and family are exchanged, and friends meet in a magical night.
Unfortunately, the Associação Raízes d’ vila de Cidões, the organizer of the Festa da Cabra e do Canhoto event, informed that the aforementioned event will not take place in the year 2021.
Ajuda Botanical Garden (Lisbon)
The event aims to get to know the garden and the plants that were used in spells in the past and which today are recognized as having medicinal power. At night, in addition to fun and spooky elements, there is a pumpkin contest, a horror ride and a mask contest.
At the Ajuda Botanical Gardens, entertainment is already a tradition on October 31, when the green space reveals plants that were used in other times in spells and which today are recognized as having medicinal power. The program, which runs until midnight, includes a pumpkin and mask contest, a themed buffet and track games. Capacity is limited to 220 people, subject to prior appointment for a seated place at dinner.
This two-level Italian garden is an oasis in the middle of Lisbon. It has an area of about 4 ha and is paid access.
The garden includes tropical trees and one of the largest boxwood hedges in Europe, about 2 km long, drawing various geometric designs around flower beds.
The main attractions of the garden are:
the Dragoeiro - Dracaena draco - the oldest tree in the garden, around 400 years old, original from Madeira;
the Fonte das 40 spouts - located in the center of the lower deck of the garden, dating from the 18th century with snakes, winged fish, seahorses, and mythical figures;
the magnificent view from the upper garden terrace to the lower terrace, with the city of Lisbon in the background with the Tagus river, the bridge and the Cristo Rei;
the fact that several peacocks stroll in the garden, among the visitors.
Bread for God (All over the country)
It's a more rural tradition, similar to the American “trick or treat” on Halloween night. It is on All Saints' Day that children go out early in the morning to the streets in small groups and ask for “Bread for God” from door to door.
Children reciting lines from a song. In exchange, they receive bread, bread, nuts and, more recently, sweets.
Like the following examples:
"Bread for God,
faithful to God,
Muffin in the bag,
Walk with God.”
“Oh aunt, give Bread-for-God?
If you don't have it, God give it to you!"
"Cookies and dumplings
for me and for you
to give to the dead
who are dead, buried
at the door of that cross
Trick! Trick! Trick!
the lady inside
sitting on a stool
please stand up
Come and give me a penny."
When you receive something:
"This house smells like bread
Good people live here.
This house smells of wine
Here lives a little saint."
When nothing is received:
"This house smells of garlic
here lives a scarecrow
This house smells of grease
Here lives some deceased."
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Source of inspiration, in articles from Idealista, Observer and information from Wikipedia.
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