THE HOLY GHOST FESTIVALS IN PINOLE By Stella Freitas Faria | Photos courtesy of Celeste Freitas Silvas and Margaret Prather One of the most enjoyable events during my childhood was the annual Holy Ghost Festival, which was usually held in mid summer. Its Portuguese origin dates back to the reign of Queen Elizabeth (Isabel), who lived from 1271-1336. During the 13th century, the Azores Islands suffered from many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, so the people were plagued with drought, famine, and crop failures. In response, they gathered and prayed to the Holy Ghost for help. Queen Isabel responded with help, and celebrated in the Cathedral in Lisbon by starting a tradition of feeding the poor at Pentecost time. That is basically the background for the religious reason for the celebration. The I.D.E.S. (Irmandade do Divino Espirito Santo; the Society of Divine Holy Ghost), a fraternal organization, was the backbone of the event. Its members collaborated to raise enough money to build a hall, which is the present day site of Christ The Lord Episcopal Church. 1938 Holy Ghost Queen Celeste Freitas The celebration in Pinole dates back to about 1911, but became a more prominent part of community activities in the 1930s. The celebration started on Saturday evening with a short parade and fireworks. There was Portuguese dancing in the hall, with fiddlers playing for the chamarita, which is similar to a square dance with a caller directing the moves. The younger crowd sat on the sidelines, getting a big kick out of the old folks. Across the street at the Eagles’ Hall, the present day Community Playhouse, a swing band played the latest Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman tunes until after midnight. Large crowds were attracted to our little town. There was teen rivalry between the boys from Crockett, Rodeo, and Richmond; you could always expect a fight going on outside over somebody dancing with his girlfriend. Sunday was the highlight of the event. It started with a big parade from the hall down Tennent Avenue, Pinole Valley Road, San Pablo Avenue, and back to St. Joseph’s Church. There were drill teams, marching bands, and representatives from all the Portuguese groups within traveling distance. The center of attraction was the queen, who represented Queen Isabel. She was chosen in a sort of contest, and was elegantly dressed in white satin and lace, and wore a long cape, held off the ground by little girls. On her head she wore a jeweled tiara, and she carried a solid silver crown which was to be blessed by the priest during the Mass. That crown is now on display in a Portuguese museum in Hayward. Previous to the Sunday parade, the crown was on display at the home of a parishioner who had made a promesa and donated money to the celebration. A promesa, or promise, was a plea to the Holy Spirit for intervention on behalf of something such as a critically ill family member. This was part of the religious tradition. May Vincent Silva was the first queen in 1911. Two of my older sisters, Arlette and Celeste, had the honor of being queens. I was an attendant to Celeste in 1938. I remember wearing a pretty rose-colored organza dress with matching brimmed hat, which was made by Mary (Rose) Faria, who became my mother-in-law nine 26 MARKETPLACECONTRACOSTA.COM NOVEMBER 2016
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