Feast of the Blessed Sacrament facts for kids

The Feast of the Blessed Sacrament is a huge yearly festival that celebrates Portuguese culture. It takes place over four days in New Bedford, Massachusetts. People often call it the biggest Portuguese festival anywhere in the world! It's also the largest cultural festival in New England. A group called the Clube Madeirense S.S. Sacramento organizes this exciting event.

How the Festival Started

This amazing festival began in 1915. Four people who had moved from Madeira (an island near Portugal) started it. They wanted to bring a piece of their home country's celebrations to America. It was also a way to celebrate their safe journey to the United States.

Fun Festival Traditions

The Feast of the Blessed Sacrament is packed with fun activities! A special Mass is held at Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Church. But many people come for the exciting parade. There is also live music and traditional folk dancing. Kids can enjoy special activities and thrilling amusement park rides.

Of course, there's lots of delicious food and drink. The festival even has special Madeira wine. This wine is brought all the way from Madeira in large barrels. This happens because of a special agreement with the Madeiran government.

Delicious Festival Food

One of the best parts of the festival is the amazing food! You can try many traditional Portuguese dishes. Some popular choices include Escabeche de atum (marinated tuna). There's also carne de espeto, which is beef cooked on a skewer. You might also find linguiça (a type of sausage) and bacalhau (codfish). Another favorite is carne de vinha d'alhos, which is pork marinated in wine and garlic.

Other Interesting Facts

Even important people love this festival! The Governor of Massachusetts, Charlie Baker, once said it was an "all-time favorite." Sadly, the 106th festival had to be canceled. This was because of the COVID-19 pandemic.