Culture
Owing to its history, Rabo de Peixe is an area of strong heritage and cultural traditions, that includes traditional festivals, folklore, music and a large architectural patrimony. The religious festivals are valued by the local population, and attract many visitors throughout the year. The begin immediately on the first day of the New Year, with the ‘’Festa do Senhor Bom Jesus’’, the patron saint, but also include the devotional celebrations associated with the Holy Spirit throughout the summer after Pentecosts.
The ‘’Festa da Bandeiras’’ (literally ‘’Festival of the Flags’’) is one of the more expressive celebrations and includes both the commemorations of the ‘’Festas da Beneficência’’ (associated with the ‘’Flag of Charity’’) and the ‘’Festas da Caridade’’ (analoguous with the ‘’Flag of the Holy Trinity’’). Accompanying these flags are the ‘’Despensas’’ and ‘’Bailinhos’’, two dances typical of the historical Rabo de Peixe.
There are six coronations associated with the ceberations to the Holy Spirit in Rabo de Peixe: São Sebastião, São João, São Pedro, Dos Inocentes, Santíssima Trindade and Rosário.
On the first Sunday in October is the celebration of the Feast of Nossa Senhora do Rosário (‘’Our Lady of the Rosary’’), marked by a ceremonial procession through the town. The following day, there is also procession which winds through the main roads, which is comparable to the procession through the streets of Ponta Delgada during the festival of Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres.
Celebrations in honour of Santa Cecília and Nossa Senhora da Conceição, patron saints of the local philharmonic bands also result in processions, as well as the processions celebrating São Sebastião (on the second-to-last Sunday of January), Senhor dos Passos (third Sunday after Easter), Ramos (Sunday following Easter), Senhor Morto (evening of Good Friday), Senhor Ressuscitado (Easter Sunday), Enfermos (first Sunday after Easter) and São Pedro Gonçalves (on the sixth Sunday after Easter).
The feasts of the Holy Spirit (Portuguese: Espírito Santo) include the folkloric ‘’Despensas’’ (a local dance) that is different then the traditional dances on the island, that include the ‘’Balho dos Homens da Terra’’ and the ‘’Balho dos Homens do Mar’’, which are danced solely by men, accompanied by castanhetas. Throughout the dance women do participate, but they never begin the dance with the men.
The two philharmonic bands of Rabo de Peixe both have a century of existence: the ‘’Sociedade Filarmónica Lira do Norte’’ (founded in 1867) and the ‘’Filarmónica Progresso do Norte’’ (established in 1888).
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