Today is Espiga Day and therefore a holiday in Loulé and Monchique. Tradition dictates that, on this Thursday of Ascension (according to the Christian calendar), people go out into the field to pick up the ear, a sprig that includes wheat, as well as wild flowers such as poppies, marigolds or flower of pomegranate, and a sprig of olive tree. But today the rainy weather must spoil the plans for many people...
Espiga Day is also the municipal holiday in the municipalities of Loulé and Monchique. In Loulé, in addition to the official festivities, the highlight goes to the Festa da Espiga, in Salir, which starts today. In Monchique, rain forced the planned outdoor picnic to be cancelled.
Espiga Day is celebrated mainly in the south of the country, it has a pre-Christian origin and marks, in a certain way, the beginning of the harvest season. The cob branches are symbolic of the fecundity of the earth and the joy of life: the cobs, usually wheat, symbolize abundance, poppies, roses, daisies and marigolds, beauty, and the olive branch, peace. This branch, in a number of variable combinations depending on the location, is hung inside the house and kept there for a year, until it is replaced by the “ear” of the following year.
It is believed that this custom has its roots in an ancient Christian ritual that consisted of blessing the first fruits, but its characteristics make it guess more remote origins, most likely in ancient pagan traditions associated with the festivals in honor of the goddess Flora that took place By this time.
The Espiga Festival in Salir, a markedly rural parish, began on May 23, 1968, organized by the Parish Council, more specifically by the then president, José Viegas Gregório, a charismatic figure and a great promoter of his native land. The notoriety achieved by the event led the Municipality of Loulé to commemorate the Municipality Day on Thursday of Espiga.
Espiga Festival starts in Salir
The festivities in Salir start today and continue until Saturday 7th May. Ethnography, Music, Folklore, Gastronomy, Crafts or Sport are some of the proposals in 2016.
This Thursday, from 13 pm, in the main artery of the village, visitors can enjoy some snacks and mountain delicacies in the small taverns that will be on the premises. At 00:14, the exhibition of traditional products opens.
But the great moment of this event is the ethnographic parade that goes out to the streets from 15 pm onwards. It is one of the most important manifestations of the traditional culture of the Algarve interior, with the parade of the main agricultural and artisanal activities of this parish, some of them in extinction, from sowing, weeding, harvesting, threshing, bread making, harvesting from medronho and distillation, beekeeping and cork extraction, fig, almond and carob retail, linen, wool, palm, esparto, wicker basketwork.
During the parade, the popular “poets” will recite poems or quatrains made improvised or prepared, in a joking message record to the municipal officials, to ask for or thank the works done in the land.
At night, there will be musical entertainment by the Veredas da Memória Group, a traditional dance with Ruben Filipe and performance by Némanus (quizomba and funaná).
On Friday, the 6th, the afternoon is dedicated to seniors who will participate in a traditional dance with the Rancho Folclórica da Velha and the accordionist Fernando Inês.
At night, from 21 pm, folklore will also liven up the party, with the performance of the Folklore Group “As Mondadeiras das Barrosas”, Serra do Caldeirão Ethnographic Group (Cortelha), Folklore Group of Casa do Minho (Lisbon) and Ethnographic Ranch Dances and Songs of Barra Cheia. The night ends with a ball with Gonçalo Tardão.
Saturday's schedule is dedicated to the youngest. At 10:00 am, the II “Os Espiguinhas” Football Tournament takes place. In the afternoon of Espiguinhas, lots of entertainment and surprises are foreseen, children's games, a snack and the parade “Miss e Mister Espiga”.
At night, Nanook (21:30 pm), Diogo Piçarra (22:45 pm) and Back to the Sixties (00:30 am) take to the stage. DJ Rodriguez ends the party.
All shows are free.
Loulé: medals for some, literary prize for Tolentino Mendonça
In the city of Loulé, the county seat, the commemorations began with the raising of the Flag ceremony in front of the Town Hall,.
At the moment, the Ceremony of the Agraciates is taking place, in the Hall of the Municipal Assembly of Loulé. The City Council distinguishes the personalities and institutions linked to the municipality, which stand out in their areas.
This year, the Municipality Medal of Honor will be awarded to Loulé writer Lídia Jorge. Poet Casimiro de Brito, physician Abreu e Silva (posthumously), Instituto Superior Dom Afonso III (INUAF) and ex-presidents of Loulé City Council Joaquim Vairinhos and José Cavaco (posthumously) will receive the Medal of Municipal Merit – Gold Degree.
The Silver Medal will distinguish Francisco Rosado (posthumously), the Dom José Beach Hotel, the Padre Henrique Varela and the Sport Clube Escanchinas. Poet and interpreter of traditional tales Filipa Faísca and businessman Jack Petchey, founder of the Jack Petchey Foundation, will be awarded the Municipal Medal of Merit – Bronze Degree.
In the Main Hall of Paços do Concelho, at 12:00 pm, the ceremony for the Grand Prize Literary Award from the Portuguese Writers Association/Loulé City Council takes place.
In the first edition of this initiative, which distinguishes the Chronicle and Literary Dispersed areas, the winner is José Tolentino de Mendonça, with the book “Que things are the clouds”. Present at the session will be José Manuel Mendes, president of the Portuguese Association of Writers, Casimiro de Brito, president of the Prize's jury, and the winning author.
In Monchique, bad weather cancels hike and picnic
In Monchique, in addition to the official ceremonies, with the raising of the flag, in the Paços do Município, there was to have been a walk and a picnic today, to Moinho do Fewchinho, activities integrated in the Celebrations of the Day of the Village, under the responsibility of the Parish Council from Monchique.
But they were canceled "due to the yellow alert issued by the Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere for the South of Portugal between 6:00 and 18:00 tomorrow."
As for the mass scheduled for 11:00 am, at Moinho do Pequenochinho, it was transferred to the Igreja Matriz in the village.
With regard to the municipal executive, despite the rain, the day is being taken up with a visit to works in progress in the municipality.
Note: the photograph of the branch of Dia da Espiga is by Catarina Alves de Sousa, from the blog http://joanofjuly.com/
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