Altar in honor of the Holy Spirit

Crown of the Holy Spirit, a symbol of the Holy Spirit Festival

The Festival of the Emigrant is celebrated to pay homage to those who left the island looking for a better life, but who come back to their homeland every year. The popular festivities and the meetings of old friends are the tune played during the month of July. In the previous month, on the 24 June, the locals also celebrate the São João Festival. The devotion to this patron saint goes back to the time of the settlers who came from the island of Terceira, and it has been kept alive and strong throughout the centuries. In a similar fashion to the rest of the archipelago, the Holy Ghost Festivals take place from May to September. This cult is especially and colourfully celebrated at Santa Cruz given the arches of flowers that decorate the streets.