The religious festivals and fairs that take place in the county of Paços de Ferreira bring to the street, traditions and customs of the region. In general, they are mostly of a religious nature. However, some begin to take broader proportions as in the case of Sebastianas Festivities in honor of Saint Sebastian, and the Santa Luzia fair, also known as ‘Capon’ Fair.
Take the opportunity to have fun in our Festivities.
Sebastianas
The Sebastianas, Freamunde's festivities are known as the grand festivals of the region and always take place on the second weekend of July. With over 115 years of history, the celebrations in honor of Saint Sebastian, have been growing yearly and currently last for about 10 days.
The festival has a program that includes cultural, religious and social activities and is strongly recognized by the ‘Vaca de Fogo’ ritual (Fire Cow) and the pyrotechnic show.
Website: http://www.sebastianas.com
Capon Fair
The tradition of capon dates back to Roman times. At that time, the singing of the roosters took away the sleep from the Emperor and, therefore, was sent to be castrated to be transformed into the "Manjar dos Reis" (Feast for Kings).
In 1719 it was officially institutionalized the ‘Capon’ Fair which takes place annually on the 13th December. Also known as Santa Luzia’s Fair, the ‘Capon’ Fair offers its visitors the traditional city fair, a showcase of live capons and an equestrian parade.
Capital of Furniture Fair
Considered the biggest decoration and furniture fair of the country, the Capital of Furniture fair takes place twice per year in Paços de Ferreira. This fair has as main goal to make visible the county's companies, support the entrepreneurs and the companies in their product sale growth and, above all, encourage the disclosure of new trends in the furniture industry.
The products quality, the inspiring design and the technological innovation introduced over the years makes the Furniture Fair an unmatched opportunity in the Portuguese business scenery.
Thinking about the visitor's comfort, the Capital of Furniture provides an area where the parents can leave the younger children entertained doing recreational and educational activities, while going through the approximately 16 thousand meters squares of exhibition area.
Handcraft
Over the years, many arts and crafts have lost its meaning. Others were replaced by industrial production.
In Paços de Ferreira, the craft still lives on as an expression of local art, strongly linked to traditions, use and customs. The authenticity, cultural and educational importance, history and our roots are some of the attributes of handmade crafts that we must preserve. Our craft includes:
- Weaving
- Knitting
- Basketry and Wicker or Rushes Tapestry
- Embroidery
- Woodwork
- Stonework
- Metalwork
- Painting
- Wicker or similar Furniture
- Ceramics and Pottery
- Tamanqueiro (Clog-Maker)
- Upholsterer (Art)
- Pyrotechniques
- Traditional Milling
- Sewing
- Blacksmith