Picturesque Coimbra is known from their oldest university from Europe. Since 1290, there are a lot of students who come and go every year followed by a celebration at the end of the year. Queima das fitas; burning the ribbons of their faculty at the ending of the festival. A lot of traditions are woven in the students’ cloaks, but why do they still hold on while it’s maybe time to refresh?

Queima das Fitas starts with the Serenata. A group of seniors are singing fado, the traditional music from the university. An ode to their academic years, where saudade and nostalgia are filling the air on the square of the Old Cathedral.

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Not only the seniors are having their traditions, also the juniors are getting their spotlight. During queima do grelo, they burn the ribbons from their binders to replace them to the ribbons of their final year.

Every student is looking the most forward to the cortejo, a parade of floats and a lot of beer. Some of the floats have a political or social message, but most of them are beer-loaded tanks ready to attack during the beer fights.

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