A tour through the old wives’ arches

During the summer festivals in the parish of Santa Bárbara, there is a different energy in the air, as is usual in all small towns. The houses are breezy, and the courtyards arranged, ready to receive visitors. There are hanging lights, and the pace of life slows down quite substantially. During these days, taking a stroll through these parts is a great way to get to know the identity of a people.

When Yuri and Boris passed in front of the church, they just wanted to take photos. It was 10 a.m. when they parked the car out. The day was just perfect. They got some good shots, especially Boris, who was a lover of photography. As they were leaving the church, they noticed a bunch of men noisily clustering around a wooden structure on the ground. There, almost in the middle of a road that was now a kind of construction site. The older women and men had benches and were cutting “cedars”. The younger ones were moving some huge stone blocks. They figured they would serve to support the wooden structure. 

One of the men nodded to them as if to ask if they wanted to help. The others laughed in a casual way. Everyone was amazed when Yuri and Boris put down their backpacks and clung to the massive blocks. It was only a little over two minutes of effort, but it made them sweat. Once they finished off, there was a joint celebration, full of laughter and folded arms contracting their biceps. The foreigners, as they got christened, were cheered. And, of course, there was a toast.

For the next few minutes, they tried to understand what all that work was for, and people told them that it was an arch for the procession taking place the next day. The structure is about 5.5m, made of wood and then lined with cryptomeria branches (called cedars) and some flowers. With one foot on each side of the road, it is tall and wide enough for traffic to flow through. About eight people are in charge of making the “arch”. The huge rocks that support it get brought in by a tractor that arrives when its owner has time. It is lifted with manual strength, although sometimes cheating is done using a forklift or something like that. Making the arch is a day of celebration, with plenty of food and drinks for everyone. The group of people responsible for the venture would usually draw in friends and curious onlookers.

Boris was preparing to take a photo when a firework crackled not far from there. He took his right eye out of the camera’s viewfinder and saw a man running towards a house. All work stopped at that moment. The man returned with a firework in his hand, asked for a cigarette, lit the firework, and to the words “Go for launch!” he launched it to explode seconds later under a chorus of shouts and applause. Yet, another toast. Yuri called Boris with some new information. The first firework had come from another arch nearby. They quickly went to investigate this situation, encouraged by their new friends. But they took drinks “for the journey”. They went on foot because they no longer felt able to drive. The hospitality here sometimes overlooked good health. The price was very high, but no one seemed to mind.

They walked about 500 metres and came across the same setup. Another bunch of people gathered working on another arch - more commotion, more joy, more toasts. They were then again invited to take part in the work and did so with joy. Boris recorded everything. They heard another firework. Five arches were under construction at once, and a kind of healthy competition was going on between them. The atmosphere was just the same in all of them. Sharing was the watchword. At around five in the afternoon, Boris and Yuri had run through all the arches and were delighted, tired, and slightly drunk. They returned to the first arch just in time to hear the round of fireworks that signalled the end of the work. They got dragged to Basílio’s garage where a large table was set up, full of dishes made by friends, neighbours, onlookers, etc. They ate very little because they had spent the day eating and drinking and got severely scolded when they wanted to pay! They ended up falling asleep on some benches while the party was winding down.

Why do people go to this trouble? Because they feel that they are an integral part of the life of the community. Because they know they are fundamental parts of the social mechanism that sets these small places in motion. Because by participating, they can leave their own mark on a structure that belongs to everyone. And, above all, because they are happy to do so.

As for Yuri and Boris... they are recovering. The problem is that tonight the festival goes on...

Note: if you take part in the making of one of these arches, drink responsibly.
*No tourists got drunk during the events that inspired this story.

Patrício Vieira is 35 years old, a native and resident of the parish of Santa Bárbara, on the west side of the island of Terceira. He works on a health promotion project, and he spends his free time writing stories, short plays, and songs. He enjoys being surrounded by these types of compositions, trying to bring joy and good humour to all of them.