When the Portuguese set fire to Clermont, it was every year on St. John's Day. Three days of popular heritage in the city and May 1st Square, and continues until Sunday.
Saint John's Day is a summer holiday. The longest day in which all of Europe comes back to life, and Portugal even more so. The Portuguese arrived from Clermont to Auvergne with this festival and procession that goes through the city every year, organizing three days of celebration.
Certainly, this year's famous summer was still waiting, threatening clouds hovering over the festival, but it eventually escaped it.
Portuguese from all over France
After the grand launch on Friday evening in May 1 Square, the Portuguese came to life in the city center on Saturday, accompanied by all their friends: around the hosts of Clermontua os camponeses minhotos (peasants of Minho, the area where most of the Portuguese live). From Clermont), we find the players of Zes Brinas and their deafening rhythms, the Rosita dancers from Lyon, the Landes dancers on the stilts of Heron-de-Lac, and not forgetting, for the feast of the eyes, Miss France-Portugal and her duchesses who, this year, are the three from Clermont. .
2023 party memories
Obviously, after the march, the Portuguese were received in the halls of the Town Hall by Mayor Olivier Bianchi who recalled the essential role of the Portuguese community (40,000 people in the capital) while not forgetting to take a small historical detour through an event that marked Portugal and the world 50 years ago: the revolution. Carnations that led to the fall of Salazar's dictatorship and the arrival of democracy.
Pedestals in living rooms!
With the added bonus of this unusual photo of the Landis family on their stilts, dancing in the City Hall halls.Mistakes attracted attention. Photography by Richard Brunel
Then all this merry team joined the May 1st square for the big celebration… Without a bonfire: the proximity of the Europavox festival facilities (which starts on June 28th) prevents this. But it didn't matter, the party was, as usual, noisy and cheerful.
This Sunday ends with another full day of performances. There will be food and drink… and always serious rain. But now we are used to it!
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Arnaud Vernet
