Annually, the Holy Spirit festivities take place all over the Azores archipelago, every week from Easter until Pentecost Sunday or Trinity Sunday. Usually during this period, one week is dedicated to the “Alumiações” (illuminations), where the worship of religious symbols is conjugated with lively singing, such as “pezinho” – dedicated to the organizers of the festivities and generous offers given to the Holy Spirit – or “Cantigas ao Desafio” – a typical song from the North of Portugal.

In some localities, Friday is the day of sacrifice and on Sunday the feast (or “bodo”) is shared among the guests.

On Sunday the first procession is held, starting at  the house of the person responsible  for the crown, scepter and platter, which are then traditionally carried by young people dressed in white  to the church, where the ceremony of coronation is held.

The Holy Spirit flag, with scarlet background and an embroidered white dove, opens the procession.  While nowadays, these processions are accompanied by the philharmonic, in the past this was the task of the so-called “Foliões”.

Traditionally, the Holy Spirit festivities are marked by abundant meals, gifts and even ceremonial food distributions. One of the best examples are the “Holy Spirit soups”, distributed in some localities and made primarily of boiled beef and slices of wheat bread, along with several other varieties of bread and sweet bread, biscuits and sweets. These soups are offered to the community by the person responsible for the festivities.

The festivities of the Holy Spirit are extremely meaningful in the Azores, although they can differ from island to island.

In the Lands of Priolo, the Holy Spirit festivities are celebrated in all parishes, even though the duration can vary according to the availability of the responsible person.


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