Childbirth Masses facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Missas do Parto |
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| Observed by | Catholics in the Autonomous Region of Madeira and diaspora |
| Type | Religious |
| Celebrations | Church services and gatherings |
| Begins | 16 December |
| Ends | 24 December |
| Date | Lua error in Module:Wikidata at line 132: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Related to | Christmas |
Missas do Parto (which means Childbirth Masses in Portuguese) are a very important Christmas tradition in the Autonomous Region of Madeira, Portugal. These are special church services held for nine days, like a countdown, right before Christmas Day. They happen from December 16th to December 24th in all the churches across Madeira, usually in the early morning.
These masses are a way to show devotion to the Virgin Mary. They celebrate her pregnancy, focusing on a special image of Mary called "Our Lady of Ó," who is known in Madeira as "Our Lady of Birth." After these nine masses, there's one more important service called the Mass of the Rooster on Christmas Eve, December 24th.
People love to attend these masses not just for the religious part, but also for the fun and community spirit. During the services, the choir and everyone in the church sing special Christmas songs. After the mass finishes, people gather outside the church. They share food and drinks like hot cocoa, coffee, and local drinks like poncha (a traditional Madeiran drink). They also enjoy traditional Christmas sweets and sandwiches made with carne de vinha d'alhos (a special marinated pork dish).
While they eat and drink, groups of people sing together and play traditional musical instruments. These instruments include the rajão, castanets, braguinha or machete, pandeiro, pife, bombo, and sometimes even bagpipes or a harmonica. Although it's less common now, sometimes fireworks are also set off, adding to the festive mood.
History
The Childbirth Masses are a very old tradition in Madeira. Records show they have been celebrated since at least the early 1700s.
On December 17th, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Expectation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This feast is linked to "Our Lady of Ó." Because of this, from December 16th (the day before the feast) until Christmas Eve, the church in Madeira holds these nine Childbirth Masses. They honor the Virgin Mary for the upcoming birth of Jesus. The series of masses ends with the Mass of the Rooster, which celebrates the birth of Jesus.
Many people believe that the Madeiran Childbirth Masses are a local version of similar "Novenas" (nine-day prayers) to the Child Jesus that were common in Northern Portugal in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Today, most churches start these celebrations on December 16th, but some might begin a day earlier, on December 15th.
These masses are usually held very early in the morning, often between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. There are a couple of reasons why this might be. One idea is that it reminds people of the time and quiet environment when Jesus was born, as he is seen as "the light that is born for the world." Another reason could be that it was a convenient time for farmers, who also started their work very early in the day.
