Thursday 6 May 2010

Crossing the finish line

If you would come to Porto during this week you would see students wearing very strange clothes everywhere and so many festivities at every corner. We are having «Queima das Fitas»!!!

It celebrates the end of graduation courses, symbolized by the ritual burning of the ribbons representing each faculty of the University of Porto (UP). It lasts for 8 days, one for each UP's Faculty: Letters, Law, Medicine, Sciences & Technology, Pharmacy, Economics, Psychology & Education Sciences and Sports Sciences & Physical Education. During this period, a series of concerts and performances are held, turning Porto in a lively and vibrant city. It also includes a parade of the university students, sport activities, gala ball, and many other public events and traditions, such as the historical nighttime student fado serenade (Serenata Monumental).
The Ribbon Burning festivities are the big yearly celebration for the students and townspeople as well. The festivities run for a full week with the traditional nighttime fado serenade in the square in front of the Tower of Clérigos. The square is packed with students in their black capes (looking like Harry Poters :) and according to the ritual, studies are forgotten for a week of joy and all-night revelry.

The high point of the festivities is the Cortejo, a parade with dozens of elaborately decorated floats, each in the color of their respective faculties, carrying placards with ironic criticisms alluding to certain teachers, the educational system, national events and leaders. The parade is made up of thousands of "newly liberated" students set apart by their top hats and walking sticks.

In the end we're tired, but happy ;)

So... finish line is over here... But a career and much more than a job are coming!
Thanks to those who have been walking with me along this 6 years!:)