or a tradition to remain a tradition, to what extent can it change?

Fátima Santos (CRIA Iscte) has authored “Tradição e Inovação nas Cavalhadas de São Pedro da Ribeira Seca (Ribeira Grande)”, published in volume 66 (2026) of Trabalhos de Antropologia e Etnologia, in the special issue “Expressões da Religiosidade Popular nos Açores”.

The Cavalhadas de São Pedro is a secular and religious equestrian procession held on 29 June in Ribeira Seca, on the island of São Miguel. Considered to be of great cultural and tourist importance to the local community, it has been undergoing a growing process of municipalisation and heritage recognition. Fátima Santos argues that processes of innovation are seen as essential to preserving the ‘tradition’ and ‘mystique’ of the event, and that its continuity depends on constant negotiations and legitimisation between institutions, organisers, participants and spectators. The research is based on exploratory fieldwork carried out between 25 June and 2 July 2024, involving research in the Ribeira Grande municipal archive, participant observation of the festival’s preparation and execution, and informal conversations with organisers, volunteers and participants.

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