Jedes Jahr in der Nacht vom 23. zum 24. Juni wird in Porto der Stadtpatron Saõ Joaõ mit einem grossen Fest in der ganzen Stadt gefeiert.
An jeder Ecke werden die traditionellen Sardinen gegrillt, auch die Caldo Verde ist dort sehr empfehlenswert. !
An der Ribeira gibt es ein schönes Feuerwerk von der großen Brücke und zu Fuss macht man sich anschliessend auf in Richtung Castelo do Queijo.
Die Strassen sind mit Imbissstaenden, Buehnen gesaeumt.
Das Wichtigste ! Wer richtig feiern möchte , muss sich mit einem Gummihammer "bewaffnen". Jeder schlaegt jeden damit auf den Kopf -
was Glück bringen soll !!
Also auf nach Porto ;D
Every year, on the 24th June, the city of
Porto, in the north of
Portugal, becomes lively and seemingly crazy. Thousands of people come to the city centre and to the most traditional neighborhoods to pay a tribute to
Saint John the Baptist, in a party that mixes
sacred and profane traditions
[1].
The festivities have been held in the city for more than six centuries, yet it was during the 19th century that Saint John's day became impregnated in the city's culture and assumed the status of the city's most important festival
[2].
In June 2004, a journalist from
The Guardian commented that "Porto's Festa de São João is one of Europe's liveliest street festivals, yet it is relatively unknown outside the country"
[3].
In fact, the party starts early in the evening of 23 June and usually lasts until the morning of 24 June. The traditional attractions of the night include street concerts, popular dancing parties, jumping over flames, eating barbecued sardines and meat, drinking wine and releasing illuminated flame-propelled balloons over Porto's summer sky
[4].
At midnight the partygoers make a short break to look at the sky at Saint John's
firework spectacle. The show is increasingly sophisticated with the fireworks being associated with themes and multimedia shows. The party has sacred roots but is also mixed with pagan traditions, with the fireworks embodying the spirit of tribute to the Sun
[5].
One could expect the firework to be the climax and mark the end of the festivities. Yet, it is quite common for citizens of Porto, with all ages, to keep celebrating until 3 or 4 in the morning. Younger people take it even a step further. They walk from Porto's riverside core - Ribeira (for instance the parish of
São Nicolau (Porto)- up to the seaside in Foz (parishes of
Foz do Douro and
Nevogilde (Porto)) or in the nearby suburb of
Matosinhos where they wait for the sunrise near the sea.
