Fogueira do Galo
The sticks that danced all year burn on the night that keeps the tradition alive!
In the early hours of 25 December, Sendim keeps alive one of the most symbolic traditions of the Pauliteiros: the Fogueira do Galo.
The pauliteiros gather around the fire to close another year. The Old Sticks — the sticks used in the year’s performances — are thrown into the bonfire. More than burning an object, the gesture marks the end of a cycle, in a tradition full of symbolism, faith and identity.
The sticks that accompanied dances, feasts and important moments are given to the fire to give thanks for the year gone by and ask for protection, health and good luck in the new one. The fire is a symbol of renewal: it carries away what is left behind and opens the way to a new cycle.
Then the tradition gains even more meaning. Around the fire, pauliteiros and pauliteiras of different generations come together — active members and former members who return for this special moment. Between conversation, music and dance, young and old meet and the tradition passes from one generation to the next.
It is one of the moments that shows the Pauliteiros are much more than a dance group: they are a community united by memory, tradition and a sense of belonging. At the Fogueira do Galo, generations dance together again, celebrating what they received from those before them and what they will pass on to those who come after.
