Activities

There are several activities that the Folklore and Ethnographic Group of Pedro Miguel has come to develop through the past years. Some of them where made in collaboration with other entities as a way of showing the traditions and customs and of promoting Pedro Miguel village and Faial Island.

In conjunction with the Village Council of Pedro Miguel, the group organizes, a yearly festival during the Mardi-Gras season as a way of reviving the Carnival Dance, greatly admired on the island. The group also organizes dances, contributing to the rebirth of a tradition that was disappearing. Another dance that was also revisited was the Baile Mandado and the Jogo da Ciranda played by all the children of the village.

In December 2000 the group participated, as guests, on the program Memories of Christmas, through an invitation by RTP Azores - Horta’s station, celebrating the Christmas season.
The group organizes a Christmas party every year to promote social interactions between its members.
Another event is the group’s anniversary. The most notable was the group’s 25th anniversary celebration that included the participation of all the island’s folklore groups, a group from Bandeiras (Pico Island) and another from São Jorge Island.

In collaboration with the City Hall, INATEL and the Village Council of Pedro Miguel, the group participates in the Athletic and Cultural Week, taking place in this village. The group’s participation included a soccer team and some theatrical presentations.
Collaborating in one of the most significant celebrations in Faial Island - Semana do Mar - the group participates with a float as well as in the Semana do Mar march.

In 2004, the group became involved in a project called Mundo Rural recreating a traditional kitchen, which was extremely admired by those who visited this exhibition. Many of the observers could relate to the scene that was recreated.

In 2005 the group recreated a bull-powered mill - a resource used to grind by means of the force of an animal - as part of the II edition of Mundo Rural.

Striving for perfection and development, on November 2004, the Folklore and Ethnographic Group of Pedro Miguel, in collaboration with all the other folklore groups on the island, organized a Folklore workshop. Following this initiative, the group organized a folklore school, with the purpose of demonstrating folklore to all of those who want to learn, having concluded this project in January 2005.

In September 2005 the group organized the first Faial Folklore gathering. It was the first time that an event like this took place, with the purpose of promoting interactions between all island folklore groups.

These are some of the activities put on by the group through out the years and the group wishes to continue and develop other activities.