June: Month of Portugal but without Saint John’s Fest
June has commenced and, with it, the traditional celebrations of the Portuguese community in Macau. Named “June – Month of Portugal”, the series of events peaks with the celebration, on June 10, of the Day of Portugal, Camões and Portuguese communities. There will be a program that includes 20 activities, the Portuguese Consul-General Alexandre Leitão unveiled on Wednesday in a press conference at the Portuguese Consulate building.
At the press conference, Leitão, who recently started his term as Consul for Macau and Hong Kong, highlighted the fact that the celebration of the Day of Portugal in Macau has come a long way but, more important than just tradition, is the purpose of displaying the vitality of the Portuguese community and the different Portuguese associations and groups in Macau.
The cultural program includes a series of conferences as well as movie projections that not only includes Portuguese productions but also others, coming from different Portuguese-speaking countries.
A book launch about the “Battle of Macau” is also part of the program for this year as well as a Portuguese artists’ collective exhibition.
Because Portuguese culture often involves food, the celebrations of June – Month of Portugal also includes a gastronomic route involving a total of 11 restaurants that aim to allow both Macau residents as well as tourists experience Portuguese cuisine.
without Saint John’s Fest
One tradition related to both Portuguese and Macau culture is the Saint John Festival, a street party that used to fill the streets around Saint Lazarus District with food, drinks, souvenirs, and entertainment.
The popular celebration of the Catholic saint, which is also the “Patron Saint’s Day of Macau” and that is already listed as part of the Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Macau, will not take place this year.
According to a report from the Portuguese newspaper Tribuna de Macau, the organizers of the festival said that the event will not take place this year after a proposal to move the party from the streets of Saint Lazarus to the Broadway in Taipa was considered.
Authorities were concerned about the traffic that would be imposed on several streets in the area as a result of the festival, which ultimately meant the festival could not take place this year.
