“Feira das Cantarinhas”
At the beginning of May it takes place in Bragança the traditional “Feira das Cantarinhas”, the oldest fair of the north of Portugal.The “cantarinhas” are very small pieces of pottery, mainly pitchers, that are the “ex-libris” of the fair.
The tradition says that a boy must offer his girlfriend a “cantarinha” or a group of “cantarinhas” for good luck and says also that she must keep them for long. Some lucky husbands keep giving their wives the “cantarinhas”.
The fair occupies the streets of downtown and there are sold not only the “cantarinhas”, but also other goods, such as clothes and farm products. Among these products, one can find the first cherries of the year, trapped in a little stick, that are very popular, despite its high price. Alongside this fair, it takes place an important handicraft fair.
Nowadays, the fair lasts 3 days, from the 1st to 3rd May and it is an opportunity to promote the city, with concerts and other events shown on TV.
