Festival Of The Holy Spirit Set For July 5 & 6

The public is invited to join in on the 19th annual Portuguese Festival of the Holy Spirit, set to take place on Saturday, July 5 and Sunday, July 6, 2014 in the St. George’s Square.

Local entertainment will be provided by The Travelers, Caroline Araujo and Friends, Filipino Dancers, Somerset Brigade Band, Vasco Da Gama Dancers, and more. Also performing is Portuguese singer Sarah Pacheco who has won the Ontario People’s Choice Award for Female Artist Of The Year for two consecutive years.

Sarah Pacheco in concert performing Hallelujah:

Portuguese food, donuts, and baked goods will be on sale during the event. The Portuguese Festival of the Holy Spirit will take place on July 5 from 7.00pm through 11.00pm and July 6 from 5.00pm through 11.00pm each day in St. George’s Square.

Video from the 2013 Festival:

According to various reports, the festival stems from a legend which says that during the reign of Portugal’s Queen Isabela centuries ago a drought plagued the country. Against her husband’s wishes, the Queen hid food in her apron, with an aim to sneak out and feed the poor.

Her husband once asked her to open her apron, and Queen Isabela prayed to the Holy Spirit before opening her apron for his inspection. When she opened it, roses are said to have tumbled out instead of the food, a miracle which sparked the Festival of the Holy Spirit.

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