VACA DAS CORDAS
The festival of 'Vaca das Cordas' takes place in Ponte de Lima, in Northern Portugal, on the ninth Friday after Easter. The name of the festival literally translates as 'cow on strings'. During the festival, the people drag a bull around the town on four ropes. The legend says that the church in the town was once the site of a pagan temple, where people worshipped pagan gods, including a bull. When the temple was replaced by a Christian church, echoes of the old ways of worship remained, and were turned into the modern day incarnation of Vaca das Cordas. If you're imagining something like the bull running at Pamplona, then think again. This festival is much more of a family friendly event. The town gets very busy, with people vying for the best positions from which to see the bull, and not get hurt. (Many people gather on the Roman bridge to watch, as the bull is eventually dragged down onto the river bank.) Read Road School to find out why it is very important indeed not to stand by the fountain. FIND OUT MORE |