Religious festivals The Azores

The feast of the patron saint of this small town on Pico is an important religious and popular celebration. For five days, the town comes alive with concerts, popular marches, street dances and balls of chamarritas, a traditional dance. The festivities include sporting, cultural, musical and religious events. In 2023, the record for the largest chamarrita in the world was broken by 812 dancers at the Madalena municipal stadium. Not to be missed!

This annual pilgrimage to São Jorge is one of the Azores' most important religious events. Mass, liturgical hymns, a traditional procession accompanied by the local philharmonic band and an auction punctuate the event, which takes place in the chapel of São Sebastião. This tradition, on the island of São Jorge, is linked to the belief in divine protection against natural disasters (volcanic eruption, earthquake...).

In the small town of Praia Formosa, on the island of Santa Maria, the feast of the patron saint Santo Amaro is an important religious and traditional festival. Every year, the tradition continues, beginning with a mass at the church of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios, followed by an auction in which arms and legs made of hand-kneaded dough are sold. The faithful offer them as payment for their promises. Festivities in honor of Santo Amaro also take place in other Portuguese cities.

The Feast of the Virgin Mary is an important religious festival throughout the Azores. It is particularly celebrated in Vila do Porto (Santa Maria), as Mary is the town's patron saint. Kermesses, concerts, shows and local produce markets bring the town's municipal garden to life. This is also the case in Vila Nova, on the island of Terceira, and in Corvo, which celebrate their patron saint, Nossa Senhora dos Milagres (Our Lady of Miracles).

The island of Pico has a special devotion to the miraculous Good Jesus. Every year, the sanctuary of São Mateus serves as a place of pilgrimage, and thousands of inhabitants come from all over the archipelago to honor the image of the Saint. Other central islands, such as Graciosa, also celebrate this festival. In addition to its religious significance, the festival has a more popular dimension, with musical performances and folklore groups.