Name/Title
Holy Ghost Festival QueensDescription
The annual Holy Ghost celebration was held under the auspices of the local I.D.E.S. (Irmandade do Divino Espirito Santo; The Society of Divine Holy Ghost).
The festival, originating in Portugal, is a Catholic celebration highlighted by the selection of a young woman to represent Queen Isabel.
To the Portuguese, the crown symbolized a sign of the Holy Ghost, an object of much veneration, commemorates the day of the miracle: Pentecost Sunday.
The Holy Ghost Festival traces its origins to the 13th and 14th centuries when a violent earthquake and volcanic eruption shook the Azores Islands, located 1,000 miles away from the Lisbon home of Portugal’s Queen Isabel.
Following the natural disasters there was drought, crop failure, and finally a cruel famine that broke the people’s faith. The people gathered to pray to the Holy Ghost for help, and what followed was a miracle.
A ship arrived at Port of Fayal on Pentecost Sunday, laden with food. When the good news reached Queen Isabel, she organized a solemn procession in honor of the Holy Ghost.
Accompanied by her maids, the Queen carried her crown through the streets of Lisbon to the cathedral, placing it on the altar as an offering of thanksgiving for the favors the Holy Ghost had bestowed upon her people.Copyright
Copyright Holder
Pinole Historical Society
