The favourite weekend activity is the ‘festa’ and these occur every weekend at different villages throughout the summer. They usually mark the feast day of the local saint or a significant day in the agricultural calendar, the grape or chestnut harvest for example. Some festivals are associated with a legend or miraculous event. The procession in Monte on the 15th of August, The Feast of the Assumption, is the most solemn of these occasions and attracts pilgrims from all over the island.
Every year, two weeks after Easter, Madeira’s flower-festival takes place in the main streets of Funchal with floats displaying a myriad of flowers and colours. The children build a ‘Wall of Hope’ made of thousands of flowers and there are flower carpets in the streets, folklore performances, flower shows, classical music concerts and variety shows.
The carnival in Madeira in the month of February is one of the best in Europe. There are two carnival parades which are very different from each other. The allegoric parade always takes place on the Saturday of the Carnival weekend and is the more sophisticated of the two. Numerous Samba groups with thousands of participants in magnificent, colourful costumes dance to electrifying Samba music through the streets of Funchal. The second parade, called trapalhao takes place on the Tuesday ending the carnival period and everybody can dress in costumes and take part. Both parades end at the Municipal Square where more entertainment is provided. At least one month before the Carnival the best-known and established carnival groups visit the hotels and entertain the guests.
Christmas and New Year are special in Madeira. From the middle of November, Funchal is lit with extravagant, Christmas decorations and there is a constant supply of concerts from local folk groups, orchestras and imported artists. Stalls are set up in the town to sell local delicacies and gifts for the festive season. The highlight of the season is the fireworks display on December the 31st and the celebrations are brought to a close on January the 5th and 6th – The Day of Kings – with a concert in the Municipal garden and a traditional concert at Carmo church on January the 8th.