Holy Ghost Feast East Taunton (2024)

FAQs

What is the meaning of the Holy Ghost Feast? ›

In the United States, the culture of the Holy Ghost feast connected new Azorean immigrants to their homeland. It was, and still is, a way to unite, pray, celebrate and remember their roots. To the elderly, the Holy Spirit is “almost a family friend. There's a very strong emotional bond.

Feast of the Holy Ghost. Experience the rich traditions of the Holy Ghost Feast as a symbol of unity and kindness, with centuries of history connecting Azoreans worldwide, and join us for our annual celebration every third full weekend in July – a cherished tradition since the 1920s on Martha's Vineyard.

The history of the festa of the Holy Ghost is based on the miracle of a 14th century Queen St. Isabella of Portugal, who helped to feed the poor during a time of famine that ravaged the Azores and Portugal. She had deep faith in the Holy Spirit and often prayed, asking for food to feed the poor.

A Festa is festival and religious event that goes back 700 years to honor Queen Isabel of Portugal who was generous to the poor during the great famine. Many of the attendees and residents of this area can trace their Portuguese roots back to Azores where Festas are still a tradition.

The Holy Ghost, a member of the Godhead, bears witness of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. He is the source of personal testimony and revelation. He can guide us in our decisions and protect us from physical and spiritual danger. He is known as the Comforter, and He can calm our fears and fill us with hope.

In John 14:26, Jesus states: "But the Comforter, [even] the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things". The identity of the "Comforter" has been the subject of debate among theologians, who have proposed multiple theories on the matter.

Ethnicity: The Azorean Population is composed mainly of Portuguese immigrants from southern Portugal and Madeira, but with a significant population from Flanders, as well as smaller groups of Jews, Africans, Spaniards, Bretons and Moors.

The Holy Ghost Society is common in Portuguese settlements throughout the world. In addition to filling a social need, it also has religious significance. Every year members commemorate the 16th century feeding of the famine stricken Portuguese people by Queen Isabella.

Religiosity is widely lived in all the islands of the Azores Archipelago, without exception. The great religious manifestations of these islands date back to the time when natural disasters and great isolation devastated their populations, who found relief in their faith.

Honoring Ancestors and Wandering Souls

The 15th day of the seventh lunar month is the climax of the Ghost Festival. On this day, people across Taiwan pay their respects to their ancestors by setting up altars in front of their households. These altars are adorned with incense, candles, and offerings of food and drink.

Why is it called Holy Ghost? ›

Both Holy Ghost and Holy Spirit were used to refer to the Third Person of the Trinity well before the 20th century, although the former was the most common in biblical and prayer texts. The word ghost is of Germanic origin and comes from Old English gast, meaning soul, life, breath, good or bad spirit, angel or demon.

The Holy Ghost does not have a body of flesh and bones as we do. He has a spirit body in the form of a man. The Holy Ghost teaches us about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and bears witness of those things we are taught about them.

The traditional legend of the Holy Ghost is that the Queen promised the Holy Ghost, for which she had great faith and devotion, that she would sell her crowns and jewels if He would intercede during a great famine.

New Bedford's Feast of the Blessed Sacrament is the largest Portuguese Feast in the world and attracts 100,000 visitors to its festival grounds on Madeira Field each year. Now more than 100 years old, the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament was founded by four immigrants from the Portuguese island of Madeira in 1915.

Carnival (February/March)

Portugal's Carnival can trace its roots back to the 16th-century and remains the most important popular festival in the country.