Celebrating spring, Nature and its abundance

May Day is a day for celebration. Popular festivities are very deeply rooted in the Algarvian people and include outings to the country, picnics and snail gathering, dances and songs.

The tradition demands “Attacking May” , a celebration in which dried figs garnished with fennel sprigs are eaten, washed down with Arbutus berry brandy.  At the end of the morning, people go off to the country for a traditional picnic.   In some areas, there are performances by music bands and folk groups as in Alte, Alcoutim, Odeleite, Paderne, Monchique and Albufeira. 

The “M” Festival:  M for Mel, Milho and Medronho – honey, corn and arbutus berry. From this happy combination of products, comes a festival celebrated on the 1^st day of May  in Monchique which is rich in these products.  There is nothing like visiting to taste the special foods fresh from the hands of confectioners.

During the first three days of May, it is also traditional to get big rag dolls, adorn them and place them on top of the roofs or in the garden.  These are called “maios” or “maias” depending on the gender of the doll.  These dolls personify spring and fertility, and could date back to pagan Roman rituals, associated with nature cults.