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Portalegre, PORTUGAL – As people prepare for Easter in Portugal, there are thoughts of bunnies and flowers, baby chicks and … lizards?
In Portugal, where my family is from, we enjoy Folares da Páscoa, or Easter cakes, and Lagartos da Páscoa, or Easter lizards, each spring.
These are traditional Portuguese Easter cakes which symbolize forgiveness and new beginnings. The lizard ones are shaped like the little geckos that emerge in the warming temperatures.
Folares are bread-like cakes which are flavored with sweet herbs, cinnamon and olive oil. They also have an excessive amount of eggs.
Folares are traditional in Portugal and have a long history.
Their origin story is that when a beautiful young girl from a Portuguese village chose to marry a farmer’s son instead of a local Fidalgo, or low noble, similar to a lord,she prayed to St. Catherine that the Fidalgo would not hurt her fiancé.
Then, according to legend, folares appeared inside each the homes of the girl, and each of the two men. Bonded over this divine intervention, the fidalgo did not harm the farmer’s son.
Ever since, folares have been celebrated as symbols of forgiveness.
Why lizards?
Folares are most common in Alentejo, the rural eastern part of Portugal, where they originated.
Throughout Alentejo, the sweet breads are shaped as various animals. Birds are most common to emphasize the connection with spring and new life, especially since folares often are decorated with hard boiled eggs.
Lizards are also very popular probably because lots of salamanders and geckos start to appear around Easter. In the part of Alentejo where my family is from, the lizards are even more popular than birds.
The lizard shape is the best by far, as the boiled egg is fitted into the mouth and a ribbon is tied around the neck.
Why Easter?
In Catholicism, Easter is a time of forgiveness and celebration as myself and many other Catholics reflect on the power of Jesus’ passion and resurrection.
As Portugal has been predominately Catholic since its creation – and officially Catholic until it became a republic in 1974 – Portuguese culture reflects traditional Catholic values. One of those is that Easter is a time for forgiveness and celebration.
As a result, many desserts which are already linked with themes of love and community, like folares, are mostly eaten around Easter.
Moreover, the original legend says St. Catherine gave the folares on Easter Sunday, providing an obvious link to the holiday.
Where to find folares and why you should eat them
Folares are mainly found in Portugal, or places that were once Portuguese, like Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Goa, Timor and Macao.
But you can certainly find them in most stores that sell Portuguese foodstuffs at Easter and through the spring.
If you are in the Alentejo region during Easter, you should definitely try folares as a way to show respect to both the country’s culture and its religion.
Plus, they’re delicious.
Manuel Bernardo Tavares Moreira Belo Carmona is a Junior Reporter with Youth Journalism International.
