When warm June comes around Lisboa dresses up with colorful decorations for the party. During this month we celebrate our favorite popular saint – Santo António (St. Anthony). His day in 13th of June but Lisboners love celebrations, so we celebrate all month long! Festas de Lisboa –  Lisbon Festivities - as we call it. 

St. Anthony is “Mr. Popularity” in Lisbon and the most epic night of the year happens on June 12th...

Ask a Lisboner who’s the city's patron saint and the top-of-mind answer might as well be “Saint Anthony”. This one is surely the most popular saint in town and his popularity has largely surpassed St. Vincent’s, who happens to be the official patron saint of Lisbon, even though we don't have joyful reasons to celebrate him. Why is that so?

St. Vincent and the conquest of Lisbon
 
If you look at the coat of arms and the flag of Lisbon you will find a ship with two ravens...

Portuguese have a word of its own. It has no translation in any other language and describes perfectly the emptiness when we know we'll miss something, or someone. Even before it happens. It's called Saudade.

You migh not be Portuguese, but iIf you already walk through Lisbon, if you seen Castle Hill bring to life at the first Sun light or the sensation of explosion in the taste buds at first bite in a custard tart, certainly you know what we are talking about.

Are you not Portuguese? If you already walked through Lisbon, contemplating its light from the sun raise to redden in intense sun sets over a deep blue sky, if your tastebuds had a blast at first bite on a custard tart or on a Bifana sandwich with mustard, we bet you know what feeling we're talking about...