Taunton to celebrate Portuguese Heritage Month with food, festivities.
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Break out the elastic waist pants and hide your scales as June is Portuguese Heritage Month, and there will be feasting aplenty.
June is time spent expressing great reverence for the massive cultural impact the Portuguese community has had and continues to have across the globe, especially here in the SouthCoast region.
It’s a period that attracts not just those with Portuguese heritage, but plenty of non-Portuguese looking to embrace the music, dancing, history, as well as the cornucopia of linguica, cacoila, kale soup, malasadas, custard tarts, madeira wine, and copious amounts of other assorted Portuguese foods and dishes ready to be gorged on.
The nucleus of Portuguese Heritage Month is, undoubtedly, June 10, the Day of Portugal.
Celebrated across the globe by every segment of the Portuguese community, the Day of Portugal pays tribute to author Luis de Camoes.
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His most famous work, Os Lusiadas, is an epic poem which celebrates Portuguese history and the country’s role in the Age of Exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Day of Portugal commemorates Luis de Camoes’ death on June 10, 1580.
Something for everyone this month
The City of Taunton is brimming with excitement over the festivities lined up.
“We look forward to participation across the region at all these events,” said Paul Ferreira, president of the Greater Taunton Area Day of Portugal Committee, who had the details on what’s being planned for the rest of June.
On June 8, East Taunton Holy Ghost Hall on Middleboro Ave. will host the Holy Ghost Reception. Ferreira said the reception will feature students and teachers from the Azores for a meet and greet. These visitors are taking classes as part of an exchange program with Bristol-Aggie School, where they are sharing with students and faculty information on the farming methods utilized in the Azores.
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June 10, the official Day of Portugal, sees the Committee collaborating with the City of Taunton to host a flag-raising ceremony at City Hall. Starting at noon, the Portuguese flag will be raised in front of City Hall. Ferreira said veterans of Portuguese heritage across the Southeastern Massachusetts region and state of Rhode Island are scheduled to be in attendance, along with representation from the Portuguese Consulate in New Bedford.
The ROTC from Taunton High School will be assisting with the ceremony, said Ferreira. After the flag-raising, along with the singing of the Portuguese and U.S. national anthems, there will be refreshments served, along with entertainment from the Taunton Sports Folkloric Dancing Group.
June 11 will see a day worth of soccer at the Taunton Sports Club. From 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., the facility will see numerous soccer teams of different age groups playing exhibitions, including Taunton’s team that’s part of the Rhode Island Sports League, as well as a game with the New England Navigators youth soccer club. A 55-plus senior event is scheduled, which, Ferreira said, usually features former players, elected officials, and dignitaries kicking the ball around.
Heading to the Capital
If you are willing to make the trip to Boston, Ferreira said the State House will host its annual Day of Portugal Celebration on June 13, organized by the Portuguese American Legislative Caucus. The event, typically hosted in the State House Chambers, had previously been held virtually the last few years because of the pandemic. This is the first in-person celebration at the state house of the Day of Portugal in four years.
The event itself recognizes individuals of Portuguese heritage who have made contributions to make Massachusetts a better place, as well as Portuguese community advocates, regardless of ethnicity, who have helped Portuguese people advance in the state or across the United States.
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Expect many state legislators, community leaders, and officials to attend this event. The event also includes tours of the State House, pastries and other refreshments, and the attendance of the Governor.
The event starts at 10 a.m. at the State House. Ferreira said the Day of Portugal Committee is organizing a charter bus trip for Taunton residents wanting to attend. Contact Paul Ferreira from the Day of Portugal Committee at 508-930-0914 to reserve a seat on the bus.
One last feast
The Day of Portugal Committee has a big feast planned on the weekend of June 23 – 25 at the Taunton Sports Club. The Holy Ghost Feast, hosted by the Irmandade do Espirito Santo da Santissima Trindade de Taunton Inc., will feature all kinds of traditional Portuguese festa foods, like bifanas, caçoila, favas, linguica, and malassadas, as well as live music on Friday and Saturday nights.
There will be a procession on Sunday, June 25, leaving from Taunton Sports Club at 9 a.m., accompanied by the Taunton City Band for the Coronation Mass at 10 a.m. Soup will be served after the Mass, and all are welcome to attend. The festa will continue with more food and live music and will go until Sunday night at 9 p.m.
Check out more information about the Holy Ghost Feast at Taunton Sports Club’s social media.
Other Portuguese Heritage month events
Other Portuguese Heritage month events include:
The Pearl Restaurant, located at 76 Weir St. will host a big wine tasting on June 15, starting at 6 p.m. Appetizers will be served. Tickets need to be purchased from the restaurant, or through its Eventbrite page.
Old Colony History Museum will show a documentary, “Portuguese in New England,” on June 17, starting at 1 p.m. The four-episode documentary showcases the history of the Portuguese community in New England. The event is free. Refreshments will be served.
On June 28, the Trescott Street Gallery will host a free, all ages event based on crafts and bilingual story reading. Kids will get to paint and color Portuguese-themed imagery on blank ceramic tiles, while being read Portuguese stories and books from adults. This event starts at 6 p.m. Refreshments will be served.
This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Portuguese heritage events highlighting month of June for Taunton
