Portuguese people celebrate the Community Festival of Campo Maior by decorating the streets of Campo Maior with millions of paper flowers of different shapes, colours and patterns. The Campo Maior in Alentejo, located just a few kilometers from Badajoz (Spain), is a former fortress which had passed from Portuguese to Spanish hands numerous times. Every few years, this small town holds a very special festival. On the streets are hundreds of paper blossoms painted to resemble real buds, giving you the illusion that you are in a magical realm filled with flowers!
The festivities are based on the cult of St. John the Baptist, the patron saint of Campo Maior since the 16th century. The tradition of decorating the streets began in 1897. This is the year that marks the beginning of the festival. Historically, this Festival has been celebrated as part of religious celebrations for St. John the Baptist. Celebrations to remember the Precursor of Christ began in honor of the saint in the 18th century. It originated from gratitude for the saint for having protected and saved Campo Maior during a siege by invading troops. It is already a highly regarded event both nationally and internationally. Even though they no longer hold this title, their presence endures. They carry the saint's image on a small procession through the streets. Their tradition is passed on within families and in schools.
By tradition, the celebration only takes place when the people want it, since its realization requires the volunteerism and willpower of Campomaiorenses. The festival is also known as Festas do Povo, and gained prominence from 1989 onwards, when the number of visitors doubled. In 2011, there were 1 million visitors, with 104 streets decorated. The celebration of this festival was always marked by high irregularity, whether due to political reasons or to mere chance. Street commissions in the community decide on the date and develop the concept of the decorations and color theme. Then, members work on the decorations over a period of nine months.
Each street is independently responsible for preparing the festivities, and the work done in each street is kept a secret. Even for friends and family members of the residents, the decorations are only made known on the night of the “enramação” – the night when the streets are decorated. There have been 20 editions of the parties that we see today, and their numbers have been increasing. For the 2011 Festas do Povo (27th of August to 4th of September), 104 streets participated, while in previous editions only 15-20 streets were decorated. This feat clearly demonstrates the vitality and importance of these events to the community of Campo Maior. The variety of beauty found in the “enramadas” streets is astonishing. It is certainly worthwhile of praise and praise for a job that takes seven months to complete, to be applied to each street one night on each side of the border. On the morning that begins yet another edition of the Festivals, the village is transformed into an authentic flower garden with no social distinctions. The day of the festival is filled to capacity with community members.