Heritage in feast! Feast of Broth (Festa do Caldo), in Quintandona, Penafiel. Learning and enjoying with(in) community. When identity ensures resilience and preservation.

After their trip to Costa Rica and sharing their experience at the National Museum of Archaeology, in Lisbon, the Portuguese youth team resumed on the 16th of September their activities with a new session! The group gathered together at the Festa do Caldo in Quintadona (https://www.facebook.com/CALDODEQUINTANDONA/), to celebrate the identity of the community, to learn about it and experience it in first hand.
The feast, which was held from the 15th to the 17th of September, is currently on its 11th edition (http://www.caldodequintandona.com/). It’s a community organization and a popular attraction in the northern region of the country, bringing together local gastronomy, arts and crafts and several concerts and plays. The feast counted with the help and work of 200 volunteers, being most of them locals from Quintandona and youth from Penafiel. Two of the Portuguese youth group members, Rita and Inês, volunteered as well!
Typical and traditional gastronomy such as broth (being this the main attraction), Portuguese stew, pork fillet sandwiches, porridge, in between many others, could be found in a few of the 60 stands that could be found along the grounds of the feast. The broth has long been a local favorite; in the past, after a long and hard workday, the farmers would return home and put together a broth with whatever their fields gave, such as beans, kale and pumpkin. Other stands found on the grounds exhibited handmade arts and crafts, souvenirs, toys and other homemade goods. But the Festa do Caldo is not just famous for its broth! Many are also a fan of the famous Mijo do Jebo, an alcoholic drink also produced locally. Our young members did not get to try out the drink, but they did get to hear the story behind it. Throughout its three days of duration, the feast also had several concerts and plays from local bands and theater groups.
Whilst spending the day exploring the different activities and attractions, the youth was also able to see how several traditions, the strong will, hard work and commitment of a small community managed to put together such a successful feast that has been bringing people together for 11 years now, contributing for their own sustainability and the preservation of their integrated heritage.