Nicolinas

The Nicolinas (Festas Nicolinas) are a series of festivities to honor Saint Nicholas that occur in the Portuguese city of Guimarães. Held between November 29th and December 7th, they celebrate the old traditions and camaraderie of the inhabitants of Guimarães, predominantly among its students. The first known literary reference to the Nicolinas dates from 1664, the year after the construction of the Chapel of St. Nicholas in Guimarães, although historical evidence suggests that the festivities predate this time.

The Nicolinas consist of eight main festivities, the Pinheiro, the Novenas, the Danças de São Nicolau, the Posses e Magusto, the Pregão, the Maçãzinhas, the Baile da Saudade and the Roubalheiras. They are organized by the Nicolinas Festivities Committee, a group of male students, originally all from the Guimarães High School. The people who actively participate in the festivities are called Nicolinos.

History
The cult of Saint Nicholas in Guimarães in the 17th century can be traced from buildings such as the a chapel dedicated to the Saint which was established in 1663, and from statutory documents, including the statutes for the Brotherhood of Saint Nicholas which were created in 1691. However, it appears to predate this period, and historians place the beginning of the Nicolinas around the 14th and 15th centuries, when the European cult of Saint Nicholas arrived in the city.

During the 19th century, the festivities were celebrated less frequently and at irregular intervals, while from 1875 they ceased to be celebrated altogether. In 1895, after an absence of around 20 years, the Nicolinas festivities were revived by a group of enthusiasts led by Jerónimo Sampaio and Bráulio Caldas. Rather than just a day of celebration on December 6th, they were extended. Originally called the St Nicholas Festivities, João de Meira renamed them in the early 20th century, after which they were known as the "Nicolinas".

Initially they were held over two days, with the programme for December 6th announced by a crier who walked the streets of the city on December 5th. The festivities were later extended to eight days, beginning on November 29 and ending on December 7, and this is currently the period during which they take place.

Main Festivities
The Nicolinas Festivities are organized by the Nicolinas Festivities Committee, which is mostly made up of male students from Guimarães High School, although students from the other high schools in the city have been part of more recent committees. They take place every year from November 29 to December 7 and include various events, from the Pinheiro, the most popular, to the Baile da Saudade, the last of the festivities.

Pinheiro and the Ceias Nicolinas
The festivities begin on November 29th with the planting of the Pinheiro (Pine Tree) and the Ceias Nicolinas (Nicolinas' Supper) held in honor of Saint Nicholas. The two events are the most popular part of the Nicolinas Festivities, especially among the youth of Guimarães, probably because they are the only festivities that happen during the night. During the Ceias Nicolinas, it is a tradition to eat rojões with broccoli rabe and papas de sarrabulho (sarrabulho porridge) while drinking Vinho Verde.

The name Pinheiro, used to describe the entire festivity, originated in the second half of the 19th century. Before that, references to the inaugural act of the Nicolinas mentioned the “raising of the flagpole” or “the flag” of the festivities, almost always without indicating that the “flagpole” would be a pine tree. When the Ceias Nicolinas supper concludes, the participants gather for the Pinheiro procession at the Cano, situated next to the historically significant Campo de São Mamede, where the Battle of São Mamede began. A pine tree, traditionally the tallest pine tree in the region and supplied by the Martins de Alvão family, is ceremoniously pulled through the heart of central Guimarães by bulls. The procession is accompanied by drumming and the distinctive chants of the “Toques Nicolinos”. It ends near the Santos Passos Church, where the pine tree is raised and then planted, marking the official start of the Nicolinas. Participants are no longer just students, as people from nearby towns and from the rest of the country now join in. Teens and young adults often get drunk at the start of the procession, an act that older Nicolinos deem as “a distortion of the tradition, fueled by convinience”.

At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, numbers attending the Pinheiro did not diminish   despite the restrictions imposed. Contrary to expectations, the turnout was comparable to previous years, proof of how important the festivities are to the residents of Guimarães. Attendance was similar in 2021, when around 50,000 people attended the Pinheiro procession. Despite the negative perception in the rest of the country of the large gathering of people during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Social Democratic Party defended the festivities, with their vice-president at the time, André Coelho Lima, native to the city, personally attending the various events. João de Meira said in 1905 that no obstacle would stop the festivities from happening as long as the students of the city fought for it, an analogy to what happened during the pandemic:

Novenas
The Novenas, which last from December 1st to December 7th, celebrate the religious origins of the Nicolinas, providing insight into their spiritual and communal identity. The week-long celebration fosters unity among religious groups, with symbolic rituals contributing to the overall narrative of tradition and belief. Beyond the religious aspect, the event serves as a communal gathering, strengthening bonds amongst the religious and non-religious people of the city.

Posses and Magusto
The Posses (possessions), where the students of Guimarães gather food to distribute to the people, were originally held on the only day of the festivities, but have been moved from December 6, first to December 5 and then to December 4. They begin at 9pm on December 4th, and only students who are members of the Nicolinas Festivities Committee can take part in the gathering of food items. People who are not members of the committee can, however, attend and follow the Committee. The Posses start at the Campo da Feira, from where the committee walk through the streets and alleys of the historic center, following a route that passes the houses where there is an agreed “stop”.

Once the Posses are completed, the Magusto begins, consisting of a ceremony around a bonfire where the students offer the people the food gathered at the Posses. Chestnuts and wine are shared and people socialize into the night. Since the 1990s, the Magusto has been held at Santiago Square, and has always taken place in an orderly fashion and solely in the spirit of sharing between students and the population.

Pregão
The Pregão, sometimes called the Pregão de São Nicolau, and originally, the Bando Escolástico, takes place on December 5th. It consists on a text being declaimed by a high-school student, called the Pregoeiro, in various spots throughout the city center.

The declaimed text uses satire, irony and sarcasm to criticize politicians, modernity or local affairs. Through the Pregão and the voice of the Pregoeiro, the students of Guimarães condense their opinions and their critical view of the events that have taken place over the year into a single document. The Pregoeiro recites the Pregão at five different locations across the city, starting in the Câmara Municipal and concluding at the Toural.

Historical documents from 1817 mark the Pregão's earliest known occurrence. However, it is highly likely that instances predating this date occurred, yet were either lost or remained undocumented.

João de Meira, one of the most notable and influential writers of the Pregão, crafted the iconic Pregões of 1903, 1904, and 1905. His contributions established a lasting standard, serving as inspiration and a guiding example for all future Pregões.

Maçãzinhas
The Maçãzinhas, previously known as the Cortejo das Maçãs, is one of the most iconic festivities in the Nicolinas. This is emphasized by their timing on December 6th, Saint Nicholas Day, the very day that honors the central figure of the festivities.

The Maçãzinhas trace their origins to the Romantic movement from various countries such as France, England and Germany. The Maçãzinhas consist of an allegorical procession that parades through the streets of the city, leaving at 3pm, with its final destination being the Santiago Square, a place with the same name as the Spanish city (Santiago de Compostela), which played a key role in the introduction of the cult of St. Nicholas in Guimarães.

In a way, even if unintentionally, it serves as a homage to the foundational roots (through the Romeiros) of the cult of St. Nicholas in Guimarães.

In the morning, preparations are made for the feast. The boys go to the Oficinas de S.José to build and decorate the carts that will be used in the parade. The boys also prepare their disguises, put ribbons on their lances, put their lances on their respective canes and also find a Squire to accompany them. The girls, always coordinated by a group of younger girls who form every year to help the Nicolinas Festivities Committee organize this event, giving it the indispensable "feminine touch", are in Santiago Square, sewing white camellias to the black student capes and placing the capes on all the balconies that will be occupied by them, for better identification.

When the boys arrive at the Santiago Square, always packed with people that want to watch, and where the girls are waiting patiently, filling the various balconies throughout the square, the magical part begins. The boys, disguised and accompanied by a Squire who can place the apple (maçã in Portuguese) on the spear at the end of the huge cane which they will then lift vigorously, start distributing the apples to all the balconies. The girls, who never hide their happiness at having been chosen to receive an apple, return the gesture by placing a "little gift" on the tip of the spear, saving some gifts of special significance for a few lucky ones.

At the end, when the apples are all gone, the spear is removed from the end of the cane and offered to the girl to whom the boy wants to propose, or to the one who is already his "chosen one". When none of them exist, the spear is given to the boy's mother.

The main peculiarity of the Maçãzinhas, lies in the fact that although it is based on customs and practices of courtship from "times gone by", it still manages to appeal to modern young people (boys and girls) of the 21st century, from a time of total freedom of relationships, to produce the same effects on them as always, making them feel, as perhaps in no other way in their lives, the effect of romanticism, of a feeling that no longer exists, but that there, in those who take part, is recovered in an indescribable way, since it isn’t a mere theatrical performance, but an authentic tradition that has existed and has persevered for many centuries.

Baile da Saudade
The Baile da Saudade, or Baile Nicolino, is the last festival of the Nicolinas and, traditionally, consists of a ball for the “couples” created at the Maçãzinhas. Initially, the primary objective of this event was to raise funds, serving as a vital way to financially support the costly nature of the festivities.

It first happened on November 30th 1945, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the resurgence of the Nicolinas, and became an official festivity in 1973, thus marking it as the most recent addition among the festivities. In 1946 the ball was repeated and the following year as well, with it taking place at the Jordão Theatre.

It now happens on December 7th, date adopted in 1962, at the Martins Sarmento High School. The Baile Nicolino can be considered an older example of the current North American prom. Nowadays it is a party open to all the city's students, encompassing a dinner followed by the ball. Some awards and prizes are also awarded during this festivity.

Roubalheiras
The most controversial tradition within the Nicolinas is that of the Roubalheiras, involving the theft of various items, ranging from small flower pots to hefty 500kg cows. A small note is placed at the spot where the stolen items were once located, providing comfort to the owners. This gesture aims to assure them that it is part of the festivities and not a typical act of robbery. This note, besides informing the owners of the items' temporary absence, also directs them to the Toural, where the stolen possessions are displayed the following day. This thoughtful gesture ensures that owners are promptly aware of the situation and guides them to the designated location for reclaiming their belongings. This festivity is exclusively orchestrated by the students that are part of the Nicolinas Festivities Committee. To prevent any potential misunderstandings or disruptions, meticulous coordination is established with local authorities, with them being informed in advance regarding the scheduled occurrence of the Roubalheiras for that specific year.

In earlier times, this festival coincided with the Posses on December 4, immediately following the conclusion of the Magusto. Its first took place in 1895 during a phase of revival for the Nicolinas. Initially it was dubbed as Rapto das Tabuletas (Kidnapping of the Signs), since the signs displayed in front of shops and restaurants were are popular target of the thefts. While the name “Roubalheiras” is nearly as ancient as its predecessor, it was less prevalent in the initial stages of this tradition, but it is now the official name of the festivity. The Roubalheiras are a contemporary adaptation of an old tradition that took place in the villages of the Minho. In this traditional practice, observed on June 29 on the so called Dia dos Atrancamentos, village boys would playfully relocate items such as food, harvest tools, and carts, placing them in entirely different locations to confuse the elders.

The Roubalheiras, introduced relatively recently compared with the other festivities, underwent intermittent periods of establishment and cessation throughout the 20th century. Commencing in 1895, the festival faced abolition a decade later in 1905, only to be reinstated in 1909. However, it was abolished in 1912, with a subsequent restoration in 1919. After another ban in the late 1920s, the tradition was revived in the 1950s, enduring until 1973. A resurgence occurred in 1994, accompanied by strategic modifications aimed at deterring any misuse of the festival as a pretext for engaging in illegal activities, an influential factor contributing to its prior abolitions. Subsequently, the Roubalheiras deliberately envelop themselves in secrecy, maintaining the confidentiality of their occurrence date, which changes annually and remains exclusively known to the members of the committee, devoid of a fixed schedule.

In recent years, the Roubalheiras have garnered noteworthy attention. In 2021, despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, it became a record-breaking year, witnessing the highest number of stolen items in the history of the festivity. The pilfered items included notable items such as a trailer, a backhoe loader, a road paving machine, and even a bull. In 2022, similar to the previous year, both a bull and a goat, among other things, were in display at the Toural. However, in 2023, the range of stolen items expanded significantly. Among them were a goalpost and a football bench taken from the Afonso Henriques Stadium, numerous scooters and bicycles, supermarket trolleys, and a considerable number of gas heaters.

Moinas
The Moinas, also called Moinas Nicolinas, are a series of rehearsals that occur on the last three or four Saturdays before November 29th. These sessions provide an opportunity for individuals intending to participate in the festivities to tune their drums and practice the various Toques Nicolinos. The people that attend the Moinas usually dress in white clothes.

All the rehearsals start at the Mumadona Square and end at the fountain of the Toural. Between these two locations, some stops are made at locations that offer food and drinks to the participants, the most iconic one being the House of the Santoalhas.

Dízimo de Urgezes
The Dízimo de Urgezes, in English, Tithe of Urgezes, restored by the Junta de Freguesia of Urgezes at the suggestion of a Nicolino named Hélder Rocha, and unanimously approved at the session of the Parish Assembly on October 30, 1999, dates back to and is referred to in an entry dated 1717, which clearly states that "the dízimo of Urgezes will satisfy the Students of the Lord S. Nicolau, for their day, the portion to which he is obliged with all good satisfaction, as is the use and custom and has always been". Originally it happened on December 6th, but now it happens on December 4th.

This use and custom, banned by decree in 1832 and extinguished after a favorable decision by the Porto Court of Appeal on an appeal filed by the Cabido da Colegiada, was at the origin of the Posses festivity. It was, according to a contract from 1823, an "obligation to give the choreiros and students who went to the said parish of Santo Estêvão de Urgezes on St. Nicholas' Day, in the customary manner, two hundred apples, half a bag of roasted lupin beans, half a bag of roasted walnuts, two bushels of roasted chestnuts, two barrels of wine and two dozen large bundles of paínça straw". Today, tithing involves the allocation of a monetary sum and customary foodstuffs, as tradition dictates.

Monument
The Monumento ao Nicolino (Nicolino Monument), is a monument made to honor those that partake in the Nicolinas, located besides the Santos Passos Church, near where the pine tree is raised during the Pinheiro.

Discussions regarding the creation of a monument in honor of the Nicolinos and the festivities date back to 1993, with the assurance of construction granted in 1999 by the City Council, however, the project faced cancellation in 2002. A revival occurred on 19 July 19 2007, with a new project for the construction of the monument, with a total cost of 40000 euros. Initially planned for inauguration on November 29, coinciding with the start of the Nicolinas of 2007, the event experienced delays due to construction challenges. Ultimately, the monument was officially inaugurated on 25 January 2008, at 5:30 PM.

It was created by the renowned plastic artist José de Guimarães, and it serves as a symbolic representation of the fluttering of the “cape”, an integral element of the old academic attires, now used solely by the students of the Festivities Committee.

Logo of the Nicolinas
The symbol of the Nicolinas depicts a Nicolino, the name given to the people that actively engage in the festivities, dressed in the iconic “Traje de Trabalho”, proudly raising his drumstick high in the air. The logo came into existence in the mid-1950s, designed by Gomes Alves and António Augusto Correia.

Ribbons of the Maçãzinhas
Preparations for the Maçãzinhas commence much before their occurrence, December 6th, as the boys need to ready their spears. These spears, embellished with ribbons gifted by the girls that prepare the festivity, are mounted atop canes, so that they are long enough for the boys to reach balconies and partake in the festivities. These ribbons come in various colors, each having a distinct meaning. Adorned with sayings, symbols, and messages, these ribbons offer the boys subtle "clues" guiding them to choose the right girl to present the spear. If a boy has a specific girl in mind, he seeks out the bow ribbon—an exclusive, larger pink ribbon. Tying a bow with this ribbon symbolically binds their connection during the festivities. However, if the boy is participating in the Maçãzinhas for the first time, tradition dictates that they use of a white ribbon, a color exclusively reserved to honor their mothers.

Candidature for Intangible World Heritage
The Nicolinas Festivities have been advocated as a candidate for Intangible cultural heritage in the 2000s and 2010s. The initial application arose following an exhibition featuring diverse materials related to the Nicolinas. This exhibit included a collection of photographs by José Bastos capturing moments from the Nicolinas of 2000, alongside an oil painting by Paulo Varregoso Mesquita. Simultaneously, projections showcased photographs depicting various aspects and historical motifs of the centuries-old Nicolinas Festivities. These visual presentations were complemented by brief texts centered around the theme “Nicolinas as Intangible Heritage of Humanity”. This event transcended the typical definition of an “exhibition”, instead, it acted as a “gateway to a remarkable cause”. Capitalizing on this opportunity, the Tertúlia Nicolina association distributed bookmarks promoting then recently published books on the subject.