From north to south, Portugal celebrates the Popular Saints.
Each city and region give its own special touch to its Popular Saints, but some traditions are common throughout the country. We're talking about the festivals with grilled sardines and colourful decorations.
Two of the most famous highlights of these celebrations are the feasts of St Anthony, in Lisbon, and St John, in Porto and Braga. Each one has its own characteristics, reflecting the essence of Portuguese culture. Hire your car in advance and make the most of these typically Portuguese festivities.
Popular Saints in Lisbon: meet St Anthony.
In Lisbon, St Anthony is much more than just a matchmaking saint, and that's why he has a feast to match and is taken very seriously by the locals. Here, the Popular Saints celebrate the city's patron saint. Although the festival lasts almost two weeks, the main date is 13 June, with the epicentre of the celebrations taking place on the night of 12 June.
The popular parades.
Lisbon's Popular Saints celebrations begin with the traditional parades, where groups representing the city's various neighbourhoods parade down Avenida da Liberdade in colourful costumes and creative choreography.
This event is a true spectacle of music and tradition, but if you want to guarantee a good seat, you must get there early.
The historic neighbourhoods.
For a few days, and especially on the night of 12 June, practically every corner of Lisbon will be decked out in festive finery.
However, the traditional neighbourhoods such as Alfama, Graça and Mouraria are the main party spots where you'll find food stalls, lots of popular Portuguese music, concerts and festive decorations.
The gastronomy of St Anthony.
At the Popular Saints festivities, grilled sardines are queen of the table. Served on bread or accompanied by potatoes, there's no shortage of grills in the streets so they can be prepared to order. Other popular options are bifanas and caldo verde, but none of this makes sense if it's not accompanied by a good glass of wine or Portuguese beer.
St Anthony's weddings.
One of the most emblematic traditions of Lisbon's Popular Saints are the weddings of St Anthony. It takes place every year on 13 June.
This ceremony celebrates the union of several couples chosen by the Lisbon City Council. The participating couples have their love stories selected after an application process and interviews, and the ceremony includes a collective wedding with television broadcast, a parade through the city and a party.
Popular Saints: St John in Porto and Braga.
Further north, in the cities of Porto and Braga, it's São João who leads the festivities, especially on the night of 23-24 June. The cities light up with the flame of the grills, the hot air balloons and, above all, the most anticipated spectacle of the night: the fireworks.
St John in Porto.
The Popular Saints are celebrated all over Porto. Walk through the lively streets of Ribeira, Baixa and Miragaia. During the night of St John in Porto, these areas are transformed into party scenes, with lots of food stalls, typical decorations and live music.
The fireworks.
The fireworks are the highlight of the evening, lighting up the Douro in a spectacular way that will leave anyone speechless. The best places to watch are the Ribeira, Fontainhas, Dom Luís Bridge, Cais de Gaia, Jardim do Morro (Gaia) and Serra do Pilar (Gaia).
St John in Braga.
Braga has the oldest St John festival in the country, taking up practically the entire month of June with countless activities. The focus of the celebrations is the Minho tradition, with parades of traditional costumes, performances by various cultural groups from the city, cabeçudos and lots of toy hammers.
As a rule, you should walk down Avenida Central, via Avenida da Liberdade, to Parque São João da Ponte, where you can visit the little chapel dedicated to this saint.
Hot air balloons.
The tradition of releasing hot air balloons is one of the hallmarks of St John in Porto and Braga. These balloons, made of paper, are lit and released into the sky, creating a magical spectacle as they slowly float away. Each balloon represents a request or wish for the coming year.
Popular Saints with hammers and leeks.
Plastic hammers and leeks are two iconic elements of the Popular Saints. The little hammers, initially introduced as toys, have become the great symbol of the festival.
During the night, it's common to see people amicably touching each other's heads with hammers as a gesture of fun and good luck. Leeks, on the other hand, are an aromatic plant and are also used to touch heads or simply smell.
The gastronomy of St John.
As in Lisbon, grilled sardines, served on bread, are also the main dish. Bifanas, caldo-verde, wine and beer are also a must.
Experience the Popular Saints with Enterprise.
Making the most of the Popular Saints celebrations in Lisbon, Braga and Porto can be made even easier with the flexibility and comfort of a hire car.
Choose yours and get ready to celebrate St Anthony and St John in style. Enterprise is present in these cities and many others across the country. Come and visit us.
