Festa dos Tabuleiros ('Festival of the Trays') - Tomar, July 2023

[jungleboy]

As many people are starting to plan their 2023 caminos, and there seems to me (anecdotally) to be quite a bit of interest in the Portuguese route from Lisbon this year, it seems worth pointing out that there will be a large festival in Tomar this July.

It's the Festa dos Tabuleiros ('Festival of the Trays'), which takes place only once every four years. I have never seen it but if the stars align I might be able to go this year. The festival is from 1-10 July with the big procession on Sunday 9th.

From the Wikipedia entry:

The Festa dos Tabuleiros (Festival of the Trays) or Festa do Divino Espírito Santo (Feast of the Holy Spirit), takes place every four years in July in Tomar, Portugal. This festival is an ancient tradition and the most important celebrated in the city, attracting people from all over the world. It is held every four years, the last one being held between June 29 to July 8, 2019.[1] The local population parades in pairs with the girls carrying tabuleiros on their heads. The tabuleiro is made of 30 stacked pieces of bread, either in 6 rows of 5 or 5 rows of 6, decorated with flowers. At the top of the tabuleiro is a crown which normally contains either a white dove, symbolising the Holy Spirit, or the esfera armilar (armillary sphere), a symbol of the historical Portuguese maritime expansion, and over the sphere, the cross of the Order of Christ.

If you can't imagine what these tabuleiros actually look like, here is a image from Público, a Portuguese newspaper:



For pilgrims and/or tourists visiting Tomar in early July, it could be a fantastic opportunity to see a spectacular local festival. However, the usual caveats apply -- accommodation will be hard to come by, and there will be big crowds.

Bom caminho and boa festa!

 

[Friend from Barquinha]

Thanks, JungleBoy! They are already planning for this festival, in the neighbourhoods of Tomar. It's a very big deal (and if you think you'll want to stay there during this festival, book ahead!)

It might be timely to point out that, if you're walking a bit earlier than this, there is also the yearly Festival of the Tejo in Barquinha, this year from Sat 10th to Sun 18th of June, bracketing June 13, day of Sao António, the patron saint of Vila Nova da Barquinha, as well as a multitude of other towns and cities in Portugal, including Lisbon itself.

There is a bit of ritual included in this feira (festival), on the day of Sao António itself and on the Sundays, but mainly it's a 9-day celebration of smalltown Portuguese life, with lots of fireworks, free concerts in the park most nights, an ongoing market and fair every evening at the lovely riverside park, and a lot of fun.

2022 was our first time attending. If you're in the area, it may be worth planning a night in Vila Nova da Barquinha.

 

[jungleboy]

Sounds fun, thanks for letting us know!

P.S. While most male saints take the prefix São in Portuguese, this one is Santo António, because (at a guess) his name starts with a vowel.

 

[Friend from Barquinha]

Sounds fun, thanks for letting us know!

P.S. While most male saints take the prefix São in Portuguese, this one is Santo António, because (at a guess) his name starts with a vowel.

You're right! It was REALLY early this morning.

And while it does not have the historic significance of Tomar's big, big festival, in some ways it's more accessible to visitors to the area. The Festa dos Tabuleiros is quite complex, with a lot going on besides the main parades. Interestingly, the fact it takes place in Tomar seems to have very little, or nothing, to do with the Convent of Christ and the Templar history there...part of an entirely different church tradition.

Festa dos Tabuleiros - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Speaking of Templars, there is another Tomar festival related to that, held during the same period in July as the Festa dos Tabuleiros, in the 3 years out of 4 that the FdT doesn't take place. So the next Festa Templaria will take place in July 2024, if you're planning ahead!