One of my favourite parts of writing Total Want of Propriety was Portugal.
My nerd heart rejoiced to have new useless factoids to research, and many were the rabbit holes I fell down, branching into dozens of delightful warrens. Even the language was fun for me – and I am using Duolingo to further what I picked up while writing TWoP. In the process of all those glorious hours of research, I absolutely fell in love with the country and its colourful culture. As someone who has little interest in visiting continental Europe – I admit to an academic interest in England, and I have always desired to see Scotland, Wales, and Ireland – if I ever make it across the Pond, Portugal will be a stop on my journey.
Since ODC was in Portugal during Easter, one of my delightful rabbit holes was the traditional Holy Week, or Semana Santa, celebrations in the country. I know I mentioned many of them in the story, but today I shall give a refresher and add PICTURES.
As a Catholic nation, Semana Santa is one of the largest festival times in Portugal, capping the end of Lent – with its traditional fasting – with both elaborate displays, numerous processions, and delicious foods shared with family and friends.
Semana Santa traditionally begins with a recreation of Christ’s triumphal entry to Jerusalem on the Sunday before Easter as parishioners lay down palm fronds before the churches. Two other popular festivities are the Procession of the Steps, where people walk through the streets carrying images of Jesus and visiting the various churches for prayers and singing, and the Compasso, where priests walk through the town to bless the homes. On Maundy Thursday, many parishes practice foot-washing and Judas Iscariot is burned in effigy in the Queima do Judas.
Good Friday, of great importance during Semana Santa, is a holiday and processions can occur during the day or night, with the Procession of the Burial of Our Lord, being a particularly important and solemn affair. Flowers are used to carpet the streets as silent parishioners, carrying torches, accompany Jesus’ bier through the streets. On Easter morning, throughout Portugal, there is another procession, accompanied by the ringing of bells, proclaiming and celebrating the risen Christ either before or after the Easter Mass.
Of course, various foods accompany Semana Santa. On Good Friday, since it is still during Lent, it is traditional in many parts of the country to serve torricado de bacalhau com couves (salt cod and cabbage). On Easter Sunday, after mass, families get together to feast on roast lamb and various sweets, most specifically the Folar de Páscoa (supra), a sweet bread made from milk, sugar and/or honey, eggs, and flour, with a hard boiled egg baked into centre under a braided cross. Regional variations add fruits or spices, and in Northern Portugal, near Braga and Guimarães, it is customary to add ham or sausage to the folar.
Thank you, dear readers, for allowing my nerd heart to rediscover the varied joys of Semana Santa in Portugal. Happy Easter to those who celebrate it, and may everyone have a glorious spring (or autumn for those south of the equator) day!
If you would like to read more about ODC’s adventures in Portugal, check out Total Want of Propriety on Kindle Unlimited.
Volume 1: https://www.amazon.com/Total-Want-Propriety-Reformation-Prejudice-ebook/dp/B09K8PBRY7
Volume 2: https://www.amazon.com/Total-Want-Propriety-Georgianas-Reclamation-ebook/dp/B09L6CSKFX
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