Festivities in Honour of Saint Simon and Saint Jude Thaddaeus

The Festivities in Honour of Saint Simão and Saint Judas Tadeu take place in the parish of Este, in the municipality of Braga, with the Chapel of São Simão as their focal point. The exact origins of these celebrations are lost in time, but they are linked to this chapel, built in the thirteenth century, which served as the community's main church until the end of the nineteenth century. It is around this ancient space that devotion has been kept alive across the generations. The festival takes place every year and is organised by the parish of Este (São Pedro e São Mamede). These days are centred on their religious dimension, with the celebration of masses and processions, alongside moments of music, giving the festivities their character as a time of gathering and community sharing.

There are places that preserve themselves through time with the discretion of those who need no fanfare to be important. Such is Este, born from the union of two ancient settlements to the east of Braga: São Pedro de Este, whose records date back to the mid-eleventh century and where the administrative heart of the parish beats today, and São Mamede de Este, which holds along its paths traces of ancient Roman roads. It is a community close to Braga, benefiting from the vitality of the great city without losing the tranquillity and rhythm of the countryside, living to the rhythm of a deeply Minhoto land where faith and fellowship walk hand in hand. It is in this spirit of celebration and neighbourly gathering that the people of Este preserve and pass from generation to generation their identity, clearly expressed in the Festivities in Honour of Saint Simão and Saint Judas Tadeu.