Lisbon Santos Populares

Santos Populares

    Lisbon celebrates the Festas dos Santos Populares (Days of the Popular Saints) by decorating the city. Barely a street escapes as paper lanterns, streamers and coloured lights are hung from balconies and railings. The main saints' days are for St. António (12-13 June), St. João (23-24 June) and St. Pedro (28-29 June). St. António is the saint of Lisbon and there is a big parade on the night of the 12 June which makes its way along the Avenida da Liberdade.

   The old quarters of Alfama and Mouraria are particularly busy and celebrations continue until dawn. St John's Day on 24 June is celebrated more in the northern city of Porto, but Lisbon doesn't escape the party. On St Peter's Day there's a boat procession on the Tagus (the river which runs through Lisbon) near Montijo, which is situated on the opposite side of the river from the capital, dating back to the Middle Ages.