Saint Anthony's Fire Night

In the parish of Raposa, in the municipality of Almeirim, the Night of Fire of Saint Anthony is part of the Saint Anthony Festivities, which have been celebrated for more than half a century. They are maintained by the Festivities Committee, with the support of the Parish Council of Raposa, and are centred on Largo da Igreja, next to the Igreja Matriz, the landmark of the village where the great Pilgrimage Festival in honour of the patron saint takes place. Saint Anthony is venerated here as the patron saint of the parish, and devotion is expressed above all through the pilgrimage and the procession that closes the celebrations. Throughout the days, the festival brings the community together around religious celebrations and expressions of local culture. Alongside the religious dimension, the festival showcases what the land has to offer: performances by the Rancho Folclórico dos Camponeses, gastronomy with traditional dishes such as sopa à lavrador and arroz de Santo António, pastries, crafts and music. The very name of the village, Raposa, is linked to legends of a white fox spotted during royal hunts in the region, which is said to have inspired the name.

A Raposa, in the municipality of Almeirim, is a serene haven in the Ribatejo, stretching along the road that links Almeirim to Coruche — a land of wide fields, hardworking people and traditions kept with pride. It is a land of farming and rice, a flavour that gives soul to dishes such as arroz de Santo António, served on feast days alongside duck and the honest sopa à lavrador. At the heart of the parish stands the Igreja Matriz, the stage for one of the most attended and beloved Pilgrimage Festivals in the whole of Ribatejo, and it is precisely in the Largo da Igreja that the Noite do Fogo de Stº António is set alight. Those who seek out A Raposa will find the most genuine Ribatejo — one that is lived without haste and that stays in the memory long after leaving.