S Bartolomeu do Mar

"Saint Bartholomew of the Sea"

São Bartolomeu do Mar

São Bartolomeu do Mar is a village in the municipality of Esposende, Portugal. Its population is about 1182 inhabitants in 2011.

VIDEO

The Pilgrimage of S. Bartolomeu do Mar, in the municipality of Esposende, takes place between 15th and 24th of August. Devotees resort to the protection of the Apostle and Martyr St. Bartholomew to protect children from fear, stuttering, speech problems and and epilepsy, fulfilling a promise: offering a black chicken and taking a holy bath in the ocean. The tradition of carrying a chicken on the back of a person during a pilgrimage dates back to the year 1566. This practice involves going around the church three times.

WRITE A TITLE HERE

In fact, from the 16th century onwards, documents attest to the importance and value of this pilgrimage, not only because of the number of people who attended it, but also because of the enormous economic movement it produced, especially with the traditional "Feira do Linho" (linen fair). Even today, the small parish in Minho maintains several streets with the toponymic designation that reflects this reality.

WRITE A TITLE HERE

The famous bath-Santo is located in the center of the pilgrimage land. Despite the freezing conditions, the people still visit the beach. According to a tradition, children can safely swim into the icy waters of the lake until they are seven years old. This belief holds that on 24th August, the devil will return to the sea. Therefore, children are taken to the sea during the day in order to cure the ills.

WRITE A TITLE HERE

On the afternoon, the procession celebrating the gratitude of the Saint is held.

This event, which usually involves hundreds of extras, takes place in the middle of the day.

By Mateus Sá

By Henrique Capitão

Webgraphy: https://www.uf-belinhoemar.pt/index.php/uniao-de-freguesias/freguesia-de-mar/festas-e-romarias https://www.esposendeservicostv.com/ns/romaria-de-s-bartolomeu-do-mar/

THANKS!