EVENT
FESTIVAL INTRUDU
The society in this country is indeed quite rich with various types of festivals and celebrations. It can be said that almost everyone has a big celebration and no less also a celebration to commemorate a special date. The same is true of the Portuguese who celebrate five important festivals each year and are celebrated on a large scale. As Christians, they certainly did not miss the Christmas celebrations and made the festivities in the Portuguese Village more unique and lively because of their strategic location. Being by the beach, coupled with the famous food court, besides having a special stage in front of the village entrance allows the festival to be celebrated lively. Thus, it is not surprising that every time the festive season arrives, regardless of religious or cultural festivals, the Portuguese Village is celebrated very lively. In short, if you want the real joy of partying during the festival, visit the village and everything is served there. With cultural performances, flea dances, parades and many more are served there. Thus, it is not surprising that every time the festive season arrives, regardless of religious or cultural festivals, the Portuguese Village is celebrated very lively. In short, if you want the real joy of partying during the festival, visit the village and everything is served there. With cultural performances, flea dances, parades and many more are served there. The first festival in their calendar is the feast of Intrudu. There is no fixed date in the AD calendar for this festival, but in the Christian calendar, it falls 40 days before Christmas or on the Sunday before the arrival of ‘Esh Wednesday’ (the Wednesday on which Roman Catholics are obliged to go to church to put ashes on their foreheads). "Esh Wednesday is not certain. It depends on the Roman Catholic calendar. There are times when it falls in February. This calendar is not the same as the AD calendar. Intrudu is a water party. It is celebrated before all Roman Catholics fast for 40 days beginning on Esh Wednesday. Our concept of fasting is different from that of Muslims. It depends on the ability of the individual. Some are pious, fasting all day, some half a day. Can drink, just eat less. Only, it is forbidden to eat meat on Fridays for 40 days. At the Intrudu festival, water games are started from the morning. In fact, this celebration used to be not big, only made in -house. They play water in their own house. However, due to the majority of Portuguese people here, so we felt better to do on the streets.
FESTIVAL SAN PEDRO
The culmination of the San Juang festival is one of the most unique festivals, namely San Pedro on June 29, six days after San Juang. It is a special festival for fishermen in commemoration of St. Peter, the first head of all sects (Pope). He was a fisherman and the party was in commemoration of his birthday. On that day, all the fishermen boarded their boats, cleaned and decorated in the most creative way. There was a contest for the decoration, and even the committee gave them money in compensation for not going to sea that day. It has obviously been commercialized due to the tourist response. Unlike before, we only invited the priest to bless the fishing boats so that they would go and return safely. However, as more and more people enjoyed seeing the ceremony, we made it a party and open it to outsiders to see it. The fiesta observes the feast of St. Peter the patron saint of fishermen. Its special position in the community dates back to the days when fishing was the main livelihood of the settlement’s residents and those living at Praya Lane and Kampong Bandar Hilir. Back in the l930s and l940s, practically three-quarter of the settlement’s adult population were involved in the fishing industry either directly or indirectly. With the catch becoming less plentiful, there are now only about l5 - 20 diehards who continue to fish. The highlight of the fiesta is the religious facets. Following the Eucharistic celebration on the actual feast day, the blessing of the decorated boats, where candles were lighted, is the main focus. For the fishermen, the lit candles signify the Light of Christ who guides them through the storms of life whether at sea or land in their journey home. The blessing of the boats and procession where the statue of St. Peter is carried around the settlement demonstrates the request for God’s grace for a bigger and better catch for fishermen who depend on the sea for their livelihood. The Sttlement itself is tightly knit and holding out against outside influences but retaining age-old traditions, rituals, customs, practices and lifestyle dating back some 500 years ago. Besides the fiesta, other celebrations kept alive include Intrudo (water festival), Holy Week traditions and Bong Natal (Christmas).
FESTIVAL CHRISTMAS
Adding to the attraction, there is a competition to motivate the villagers to decorate the house. However, even without the competition, their houses are still decorated with expensive decorations, some of which cost up to tens of thousands of ringgit and are imported from abroad. Want to feel the excitement of Christmas, try visiting the Portuguese Village throughout December. Every day there is a musical performance on stage and the tone of the group around the village singing Christmas songs. Not a day, but every day of the month!. the festive celebration of Christmas is sure to be felt all over the country with the glitter of beautifully decorated lights of various shapes besides the Christmas trees. said the village last night seemed like the city of Hamburg, Germany when the atmosphere was lively with glittering lights and decorations. The tradition of installing lights of various shapes in the homes of the villagers, which has been practiced for the past 30 years, is still maintained and has succeeded in becoming the main attraction as well as enlivening the atmosphere of celebration. According to the original resident of the village, Sarafriderica Santa Maria, 46, who grew up in the village full of history, said that such an atmosphere is indeed awaited, not only by family members, but also the outside community who look forward to the changes every year.