Portugal: Events

Portugal abounds with romarias (religious pilgrimages), festas (festivals) and feiras (fairs) that bring whole towns to a standstill. At the core of many are religious processions. The further north you go, the more traditional and less touristy these celebrations get. Carnaval is one of the biggest events, featuring partying, parading and painted faces about six weeks before Easter. There are vast and colourful processions during Braga's Easter or Holy Week Festival. The Festa de São João in June is biggest in Porto where everyone dances through the streets, amiably hitting each other over the head with leeks. The Feira de São Martinho (Golegã, November) showcases all manner of horses, riding contests and bullfights.

New Year's Day - 1st JanuaryCarnaval Tuesday - February/March - day before Ash WednesdayGood Friday - March/AprilLiberty Day - 25 April - celebrating 1974 revolutionLabour Day - 1 MayCorpus Christi May/June - ninth Thursday after EasterPortugal Day 10 June - also known as Camões & the Communities DayFeast of the Assumption - 15 AugustRepublic Day - 5 October - commemorating 1910 declaration of Portuguese RepublicAll Saints' Day - 1 NovemberIndependence Day - 1 December - commemorating 1640 restoration of independence from SpainFeast of the Immaculate Conception - 8 DecemberChristmas Day 25 December