Next Tuesday, October 13, Portugal celebrates National Pilgrim Day. The day chosen commemorates the last of the apparitions of Nossa Senhora in Fátima and the Miracle of the Sun, witnessed by thousands of people at Cova da Iria. The Assembly of the Republic created it on June 27, 2014, to dignify the pilgrim and the pilgrim’s contribution to Portuguese society.
The date also aims to recognize the importance of pilgrimage in the country’s history, culture and spirituality, as well as its social and economic weight. The Council of Europe highlighted, as early as 1987, the role of pilgrimage routes in uniting peoples. According to the Council, these routes help build a society of tolerance, freedom and solidarity.
To date, the following celebrations are planned:
Guimarães – The Municipality, the Guimarães Delegation of the Espaço Jacobeus Association and the “Laboratório da Paisagem“ (Landscape Laboratory) created a program as part of Guimarães European Green Capital 2026. The litter clean-up walk on the Torres Route took place on October 3 and 4, and tree planting is planned. On the 13th, at 8:45 p.m., the Sala dos Paços will host the colloquium “Sustentabilidade e natureza no caminho” (Sustainability and nature on the way).
Póvoa de Varzim – The Climate Center is organizing a walk on the 13th, at 3:00 p.m., along a local stretch of the Portuguese Coastal Route, as part of “Paisagens com História“ (Landscapes with History). Ricardo Silva, who chairs the parish council, will lead the group. The meeting is set for 2:30 p.m. on Rua dos Ferreiros. The activity is free, but places are limited and registration is required.
Albergaria-a-Velha – The Rainha D. Teresa Pilgrim Albergue will host, on the 13th at 5:00 p.m., the activity “Lacre da Alma” (Soul Seal), which Lucília Ferreira designed and leads. The session teaches an ancient technique for marking documents in an elegant and authentic way, with a personal and symbolic meaning. Admission is free and open to pilgrims and the merely curious.
