Last weekend was my 8th trip to the family home village, my third round of chestnut-harvesting and the unofficial family reunion that is All Saints’ Day. With each trip I become more accustomed to the rhythm of life in the village, meet more family members, and become more familiar with Catholic rituals. Even though I’m originally from a very Catholic country (Philippines), I was raised in another religion (more like being a Jew), and grew up in a secular country (Canada). I’ve been learning about Catholicism since I arrived.
Here in Portugal, Catholic traditions are followed and most people observe holy days which come with obligations such as attending Mass. However, Catholicism is more than a religion in Portuguese society, it’s a cultural and social anchor for everything from family events to festivals. On All Saints’ Day, people bring flowers and candles to their loved ones’ tombstones, and in a small village cemetery like Penela da Beira’s, practically everyone is family. With the great swell of people in the cemetery on that day, it’s inevitable that it turns into a family reunion.
All things aside, autumn in the home village is colourful. I’ve embedded a short clip below of the chestnut grove where we spent Saturday afternoon. My in-laws and husband are working hard and Ice the Guard Dog is protecting everyone from invaders: sheep, passing cars, etc. Notice that Ice disappears at the end of the clip… that’s because he’s chasing a car at least 500m away. He got plenty of exercise that day.
More pictures from Sunday (November 1) in the album.
November 1, 2015
Album: Penela da Beira [Autumn 2015]
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