The streets of Oak Bluffs were steeped in centuries-old tradition on Sunday for the Portuguese-American (P.A.) Club’s annual parade celebrating the Feast of the Holy Ghost.
Clutching American and Portuguese flags, hundreds of spectators gathered on downtown sidewalks to watch the procession of firet rucks, ox-drawn floats, and a group of girls donning white dresses and clutching the three components of Queen Isabel’s crown — a shining scepter, plate, and crown.
As the drums and brass instruments of the marching Upis Land Band reverberated in the air, children scrambled to scoop up candy as the parade departed from the Oak Bluffs Steamship terminal and proceeded down Vineyard Avenue, stopping at the Oak Bluffs Cemetery for a blessing ceremony, before ending at the P.A. Club.
The Feast of the Holy Ghost dates back to a 13th century legend, when Queen Isabel prayed to the Holy Ghost for a miracle to end Portugal’s famine. In exchange, she offered to sell her crown and jewels. Soon after, ships carrying bread and meat arrived in the harbor, and Isabel fed the masses a traditional beef broth topped with bread known as sopas.
“We’re very blessed. We have a lot of people who volunteer,” said Gina deBettencourt, president of the P.A. Club, after the weekend’s festivities. “The importance is seeing generations of families getting together, celebrating and having fun,” she said, adding that community members of all ages attend, from a 1-week-old to a 100-year-old: “They’re all here.”
The parade attracts some visitors from off-Island as well.
Sarah Pattison, a retired certified public accountant from Atlanta, Ga., said that she attends the parade every year. “It’s fun to watch the people go by, and the fire trucks,” she said. “The little girls with the crown is my favorite part.”
Nicole St. Amand, a speech and language pathologist from Rutland, was at the Flying Horses Carousel with her children when she learned about the parade.
“Some nice man came up to us and told us about the parade. We made it just in time, with 10 minutes to spare,” she said. “[The kids] loved the horses, the oxen, and the music.”
Miniature Portuguese flag in hand, Stuart Bory, a retired plumber from Manasquan, N.J., said he enjoys coming out to the parade, where he’ll often meet new people from the Island.
“This was the biggest, most impressive parade ever,” he said.
Fiesta sin bifana o caldo verde, nao boa.
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