Sao Bras de Alportel, Easter parade, Algarve, Portugal, 2019-04-21

21th of april 2019. Sao Bras de Alportel, Algarve Easter parade The Resurrection Procession in the eastern Algarve town of São Brás de Alportel is a unique manifestation of its people's sentiments. Easter Sunday, the townspeople carpet the streets with flowers. The Procession "[He] has risen, as He said. Alleluia!" This is the cry that echoes through the streets bedecked in flowers. This is the voice of Faith that is heard year after year. This is the strength of tradition! The streets are turned into a sea of flower torches. The men form ranks and get the procession under way, carrying the torches aloft in their hands. Along the way, they gather into little groups to take turns at crying out the "Alleluia". Here and there, you will hear a powerful, sonorous voice, "[He] has risen, as He said!" The group lifts their torches high and, with great cheer and enthusiasm, responds, "Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!” It is the popular manifestation of faith in Christ resurrected. Next Easter Sunday, São Brás de Alportel will once again be the stage for the age-old Alleluia Procession, in honour of Christ resurrected, where the litters are replaced with the flowers that adorn the magnificent torches. The streets are packed with people, the balconies are decorated with mats that sway in the wind. Stunning carpets of flowers, magnificently created by volunteers, mark out the route of the procession. On this day, it is tradition that speaks the loudest and, in the name of tradition, The emotion is tangible on this day that means so much to the people. São Brás de Alportel comes alive with festivity every Easter Sunday. On this day, many people who were born here but who have since moved away to other towns, cities or even countries, return home to join their fellow townspeople in this day of pride. The Flower Carpet A carpet of flowers stretches for one kilometre, marking the route taken by the procession, as though Spring herself had come to São Brás to celebrate this festive day. It takes three tonnes of flowers and the work of a hundred or so volunteers to create this veritable work of art. After an exhausting week's work picking and preparing the flowers, the early morning hours of Easter Sunday are the busiest of all. Starting at around 5 am, people work frantically until daybreak, so that when the sun rises it will shine down on the magnificent carpet of flowers lining the route of the procession.