Tomorrow, 16 June, is dedicated to the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. In Portugal, this day is on the list of religious holidays, which is always celebrated on the second Thursday after Pentecost Sunday (Holy Spirit). Pentecost is celebrated 50 days after Easter, while Corpus Christi is celebrated 60 days later.
Corpus Christi is a Catholic celebration of the mystery of the Eucharist, the sacrament of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. This Solemnity has been celebrated since the XIII century, and was instituted by Pope Urban IV, when the secret of the Augustinian nun Juliana Mont Cornillon was revealed, who claimed to have had visions of Christ showing the desire that the mystery of the Eucharist should be celebrated with special emphasis.
On Corpus Christi Thursday, religious processions and feasts are held all over the country, where the streets are decorated with flowers and in some places floral carpets are laid out on the ground for the procession to pass through.
On this day it is also very common for the Church to celebrate first communions and solemn communions of children and young people.
In the Azores, the holiday of Corpus Christi is intensely celebrated by Azoreans, who are expressly inserted in their culture and community. It is on this day that many children throughout the archipelago celebrate the Sacrament of the Eucharist for the first time, making their First Communion, and this is a very special moment for their families and for the Church. Processions are also held in honour of the Blessed Sacrament, in which the First Communion children participate.
In this aspect, we give special emphasis to the Festas do Corpo de Deus in Povoação, on the island of São Miguel, considered the biggest religious festivities of this municipality, well known all over the island and in the diaspora for its elaborate carpets of flowers and painted pine shavings – authentic works of art that enrich and adorn the main streets of the town of Povoação.
Last modified: 15 de June, 2022
