Portugal Edition
Festa de Santo Antonio
The feast of St. Anthony, the patron saint of Lisbon, is celebrated with the Marchas Populares (popular marches), where the neighborhoods of Lisbon compete in a parade of floats, costumes, and music on the Avenida da Liberdade. The Marchas Populares is the biggest party in Lisbon, and the tradition is to eat grilled sardines, drink sangria, and dance in the streets. The Alfama, the oldest neighborhood in Lisbon, is the heart of the festival, and the narrow streets fill with the smell of grilled sardines and the sound of fado music. St. Anthony's Day is also the day of lovers in Lisbon (not Valentine's Day), and the tradition is to give your loved one a pot of manjerico (basil) with a love poem written on a paper flag. The Alfama is where fado was born, and on this night, the fado houses stay open until dawn.
