Over the next few days the sun will be scorching, but that can’t be a reason to miss the Festa dos Tabuleiros in Tomar, which only takes place every four years! It is one of the oldest festivals in Portugal, associated with the cult of the Holy Spirit, whose symbols – the Dove or the Cross of Christ and the Crown – are clearly seen on the trays that the girls carry in their procession through the streets of the Templar City. The about 750 trays, representing the parishes of the municipality, must have the height of the girls that carry them, and are made of 30 specially shaped loaves of bread (to which miraculous virtues were attributed), strung on reeds, decorated with paper flowers and spikes. The blessing of the trays, the ornamented streets, the bedspreads placed in the windows, the throwing of flowers over the procession of trays, consisting of hundreds of girls carrying the trays on their heads, is an unforgettable spectacle. The Festa dos Tabuleiros has already started but its high points start tomorrow: July 7 – Friday – 18H00 – Cortejo do Mordomo July 8 – Saturday – 10H00 – Partial parade of trays; 13H00 – Exhibit of trays; July 9 – Sunday – 09H30 – Procession of the Crowns and Pendants of the Holy Spirit; 16H00 – Parade of trays July 10 – Monday – 10H00 – Distribution of the “Pêza” (sharing of bread and meat among the people) An excellent opportunity to visit the mysterious Templar legacy in Tomar and, if the weather is too hot, to take a dip in the blue waters of the Castelo de Bode reservoir.
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