Nhô Santo António/Brava: Festeiro 2024 points to following tradition and fulfilling a promise as reasons to take the flag

António Carlos de Pina is the celebrator of the flag of Santo António for 2024 and points to following tradition and fulfilling a promise he made to celebrate the flag in the name of his late grandfather.

Speaking to the press, Tó Demol as he is commonly known, said that at the end of the 13th, during the Bote do Mastro it was he who took the flag to celebrate it next year, to fulfill a promise he made to celebrate it in name of his grandfather who used to celebrate Santo António and São João Baptista.

Tó Demol, stressed that taking the flag does not mean that “you can” or is “bragging”, but because of faith and also to maintain tradition in order not to let the flag return to the church without having a party person for the following year .

According to the same source, his grandfather, known as papa Mundinho, was a drummer, who always dreamed of celebrating these flags, but due to lack of means he could not.

Hence, he underlined that this is worthy and defends that the younger generation of his family should comply little by little and one day they will also celebrate São João in his name.

The party planner promises a party in 2024 with the elevation that the flag deserves, but also asks people to engage, especially from the community of Lém, an area where the saint is the patron saint, considering that this support is fundamental for this celebration that “is not easy".

As for fulfilling and maintaining tradition, Tó Demol argues that it is the people who have to hold the flag in their hands, but that he is of the opinion that the local authorities should encourage the people, in this case the revelers, in order not to let the flag die.

Because, as it was shown, celebrating the flag entails costs, and even if the city council supports the people who celebrate São João Baptista, it should remember that in Nova Sintra this is not just the flag festival.

“Santo António and São Pedro also need a certain encouragement, because there are people willing, but without possessions to celebrate the flag and by supporting it, it is possible to maintain tradition”, he concluded.

When passing the flag, the president of the Lém association, Anselmo de Pina, made clear the association's availability to join next year's party planner to celebrate this flag in the best possible way, in order to achieve the objectives set and fulfill the tradition, as usual.