Crosses Festivity of Guardão
For over three hundred years, in the Ascension Day, the communities of four parishes join in the village of Guardão both to celebrate their faith in the Divine and to be thankful for the received graces. One of the graces still remembered to this day is the Divine intervention leading to the Christian victory over the Moors, a dangerous enemy in medieval times.
Through this exhibition, the visitors get to know how and when the festivity began, which myths and legends have strengthened it through time and the intangible cultural heritage that shaped this festivity into one of the most ancient and important religious celebrations in the region. A distinctive feature is the decoration of dozens of crosses manually using natural and artificial flowers, pearls and gold, a tradition that have been passed down from generation to generation over the centuries.
The Crosses Festivity of Guardão is going to be inserted in the Portuguese Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
Text as provided by the organiser(s).