Covid-19/ Brava: Partygoers follow tradition even without the profane part so as not to bury the flags

Santo António party-goers took their flags to the mass celebrated today in the town of Lém in honor of the saint, so as not to “let tradition die or bury the flags”, even without the drumming and other rituals.

Speaking to Inforpress, Francisca Gomes, one of the party-goers, said that the flag belonged to her grandmother more than 50 years ago, but she died and the flag was celebrated by her children and is now being celebrated by her grandchildren.

Even with the covid-19 pandemic, Francisca Gomes advanced that they have to celebrate because the flag is holy and the saints should not be buried and other than that, it is something that has been coming for decades and decades, so they cannot leave this day go blank.

Another party planner who took his flag to celebrate was Júlio Ribeiro, stressing that when he was born he already found this tradition in his family and every year the flag is celebrated according to the possibilities and difficulties imposed by nature, but what they cannot do is leave to celebrate it.

According to this party planner, there are family members who have already died in the United States due to the covid-19 pandemic, but even so, they brought the flag to the church because, as it was passed down from generation to generation, the flag has to be celebrated.

On the island, there is a tradition in which people take flags to church to attend mass and then go home with a party, drumming, food and drinks, coladeiras, among other rituals.

But this year, due to the covid-19 pandemic, the only thing that was possible was to attend mass even without a procession and according to the revelers, they took the flag to follow tradition and ask the saint that next year be different.