Free Tour Porto
Our Free tour of Porto is the best way to learn about the history of one of the most beautiful and interesting cities in Europe.
Let yourself be seduced by the charm of Porto
The Parade of the students of Porto
As every year, the students of the Porto universities celebrate the Queima das Fitas, whose origin is found in Coimbra, the oldest university in Portugal. For an entire week, students celebrate the end of the school year. Those in the first year boast of going from being caloiros (freshmen) to being pastranos (full-fledged university students), while those in the last year celebrate that they finally finish university, with the traditional student procession.
This procession is the most important part of the entire festive week, which begins at midnight between the first Saturday and Sunday in May and ends seven days later. It is the first Sunday when the Imposition of the Emblems is made, which symbolizes the end of the student life.
But it is Tuesday when the great celebration of the academic week takes place, with a procession that goes from the gardens of the Palácil de Cristal to the Avenida dos Aliados, passing through the Rua da Restauração, Cordoaria and the Rua dos Clérigos, collapsing completely the city, which wants to enjoy and live the big day with the university students.
The universities of Porto parade in order until they reach the last point of the route where, from a rostrum, the rector of the University of Porto and other authorities give authorization to the so-called Dux Veteranorum so that the parade can reach its goal.
All the young people, with the exception of the caloiros, wear the academic suit - whose story we tell in our Free Tour -, decorating it with a stick and a hat with the colours corresponding to their faculty, as well as carrying a briefcase from which hang some ribbons of the same colour, a sign that they have reached the end of university life.
Throughout the week, the Academic Federation of Porto (FAP) prepares activities and concerts for everyone who wants to participate in its party, but especially it is dedicated to students, so they can say goodbye to the university in an unforgettable way.
The adult life awaits them… but that will be next week.
Labels: celebrations , places , Porto