Maria-Ana O'Neill

Music

Wind bands played at festivals

Amateur wind bands were essential at festivals, performing music during religious processions and competing against each other in organized bandstand performances.

Daily life

Memorable facts on food and costs

A standard meal at a restaurant cost five or six tostões, and salted cod (bacalhau) was such a staple that it was sometimes eaten raw because it was considered highly nutritious.

What it cost

The molhadura contract tradition

In rural areas, workers were sometimes hired through a traditional practice called the molhadura, where a capataz paid for a glass of brandy to seal a weekly employment contract. This custom was compared to a human meat auction due to the lack of regulation.

What people wore

Traditional attire of Portuguese fishermen

Fishermen often wore simple work clothes, including linen trousers reaching the knee, a wool cap, and a sleeveless vest called a sertum. They only wore jackets in cold weather and saved elaborate, formal suits for special occasions like weddings or feast days.

Getting around

Oxen rescue services for stuck vehicles

Due to poorly maintained roads, peasants in some areas made money by using teams of oxen to rescue vehicles that became stuck in deep ruts and holes.

At the table

Broa as a Daily Staple

Corn bread (broa) was a staple food, often baked once a week and hung from a beam to stay fresh. Children often carried a piece of broa in their hands from morning until night.