Festa dos Tabuleiros returns in 2019 with 500+ Breadhats... no really!

A dozen must-do things in Porto

The wonderful City of Funchal set between the mountains and the Sea

Festa dos Tabuleiros returns in 2019 with 500+ Breadhats... no really!

December 17, 2018

One of Portugal's most colorful festivals is back in 2019, with centuries of pageantry and tradition! The “Festa dos Tabuleiros” has been scheduled to run from June 29th to July 8th, 2019 in the historic city of Tomar. “Festa dos Tabuleiros,” or Festival of Trays, happens every four years or so and is unique in the world and it is part of the religious traditions to celebrate the Holy Spirit. The highlight is a massive parade with young women carrying a “tabuleiro” on their heads. The tabuleiro must be the height of the woman and is made of 300+ pieces of bread with rows decorated with paper flowers. At the top, there’s a crown decorated with a dove symbolizing the Holy Spirit or the Cross of Christ. Look for streets decorated in flowers, concerts, food and wine, and fun for everyone.

The festival attracts visitors from all over to the former home of the Knights Templar in Tomar. During the last festival in 2015, women from all the 16 counties around Tomar carried 500 bread headdresses.

Along the 2-mile parade rout, petals from flowers are thrown to the pairs, quilts decorate windows and everyone is dressed for the occasion, making it a truly unique celebration. The main parade will take place on Sunday, July 7th.

So much has been written about the Knights Templar, but the last chapter in their history was written in Portugal’s city of Tomar. It’s a tale of adventure, cunning, and exploration. And the pageantry of the lost order lives on today at the “Festa dos Tabuleiros.” Tomar is just 90 minutes from Lisbon.

http://www.cm-tomar.pt/index.php/festa-tabuleiros

Posted at 02:34 AM in Food and Drink, Games, Music, Religion, Science | Permalink | Comments (0)

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