Colors of Braga - traditions, festivals, mentality and lifestyle

Residents of Braga are funny and positive people. They are very hardworking, but, just like others they like to relax. National holidays in Braga are always celebrated in a big scale and are usually accompanied by interesting rituals. It should be noted that the reason for a celebration can be absolutely unexpected one. People in Braga celebrate various religious festivals, organize fairs and cheerfully remember various historical dates.

Bullfighting has remained one of the most exciting events during many years. Traditionally a huge number of spectators come to see this event. The competitions, which are usually organized in Braga, are considered softer and more humane than the bullfights, which can be seen at the stadiums of Spain. Many people associate Braga primarily with the widest choice of wine and best varieties of port wine, which will certainly be offered to you simply in every restaurant and bar of the city. Without a doubt, port is considered the most popular souvenir that travelers get in the memory of the trip. The city’s suburban areas are grown dozens of sorts of grapes. Each sort is used by skilled local winemakers in order to prepare various sorts of wonderful wine. Just like several centuries ago, during an excursion to suburban areas tourists can see luxurious mansions of such "wine" barons. The reason for this fact is that many families are involved into producing wine for centuries, passing secrets of winemaking from generation to generation.

Gastronomic culture of Braga also has many interesting features. Despite widest choice of restaurants and cafes that can be found right at every step in the city, gourmets prefer to have a lunch at the monastery bakeries. Cooking connoisseurs are sure that the delicacies prepared in the local monasteries are simply fantastic. Unique "celestial" names of dishes make food even more original. Monastery's cooks are worthy rivals of chefs from most upscale restaurants. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

The locals are very friendly to travellers. Owners of shops and vendors in the local markets are particularly fond of talking to foreigners. They are the best people to find out where will be hosted the next holiday, what sale should be attended, and what attractions must be seen in the first place. Do not forget to give a small reward for valuable advice and assistance. Local residents will definitely accept your small tip with great joy.

With great joy and fun, the City of Archbishops (as Braga is often called for the archbishop's residence located here) also hosts many festivals. One of the most famous events is Semibreve Festival, taking place at the end of October in Teatro Circo De Braga, GNRation, and Casa Rolão. This is the festival dedicated to electronic music where besides enjoying trance, techno, and other related subgenres, the audience can also expect meet-and-greets. In addition to big-name headliners, visitors can listen to music by new stars and discover new facets of music.

Festival de órgão de Braga held in late April and early May is another great event that would be of great interest to everyone, even to those who are not fond of organ music. It takes place in different churches (Sé Catedral de Braga, Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Conceição, Basílica do Bom Jesus, Igreja de Santa Cruz, and Sé Catedral de Braga). The main goal of the festive event is to promote the music of this kind and preserve traditions not only at the national level but also on a global scale - the festival is international.

In late May, Casa dos Crivos becomes the venue for Braga International Video Dance Festival focusing on the technology that uses VideoDance as a way of expressing emotions. This is a very interesting and original dialogue between visitors and organizers, and in order to hold it, people from all over Europe come to Braga. Organizers try to surprise its guests every year, and to do that, their repertoire always includes a fresh interesting program that is sure to please any visitor, as the credo of the festival sounds like "No One Should Be Bored".

In early September, a European action known as the Night of Museums (Noite Branca) is held in Braga. In addition to the fact that many cultural institutions can be visited free of charge during the day and night, a special entertaining program is prepared for visitors, all to draw attention to the rich culture of Portugal. The City of Archbishops can offer a lot of museums (for example, Mosteiro de São Martinho de Tibães, Museu dos Biscainhos, Museu D. Diogo de Sousa), which can boast of quite interesting exhibits, so attending the event is recommended to all tourists - not only those passionate about the culture and arts.

Late September is time for Encontros da Imagen - a photo art exhibition. It continues until the very beginning of November, and multiple locations in the historical city of Braga - museums, art galleries, historical buildings - serve as the venues. The event is very multifaceted, so many photo enthusiasts are eager to attend it. Masters talk to visitors through their artworks, trying to convey a certain idea. This is an excellent opportunity to find an inspiration and look at the world with a fresh perspective.

In early July, Braga hosts a gastronomic festival taking place in Campo das Carvalheiras. Here you can try the most exquisite meat and seafood dishes of Northern Portugal cuisine and, of course, taste port wine. In addition, participants are also invited to visit local restaurants where special dishes are prepared specially for this time. It should be said that attending this festival is an excellent opportunity to get to know the local culture through its cuisine as closely as possible.

It is also worth noting that the locals are known for their religiosity, and Christian holidays are widely celebrated here. Thus, one of the most revered holidays can be called Semana Santa (Holy Week). The most colorful day falls on Friday - at this time, local residents dressed in medieval costumes and holding torches go out into the central streets of the city. The Feast of the Immaculate celebrated on October 8 is also very popular. And, of course, we can not fail to mention Christmas, during which the city is transformed and looks like a fairy tale. All the streets are filled with music and festive mood in the air, and sellers at the Christmas fair are sure to treat you with Moscatel liqueur.