Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and was added to the other academic celebrations. Floats and parades came later, and
the ribbon-burning was done at night. The following day was made an academic holi-
day—the official time when all students move up one level.
Students who will enter their last year of studies as well as recent graduates
(fi-
nalistas)
participate in the party these days, but of course the graduates get the most
attention. Women wear simple white shirts with black skirts and black stockings. Men
dress more formally in black suits—some with tails—as well as their university cape,
a wide sash with various badges, a top hat, and a cane. Different accent colors, proudly
displayed on the top hats and canes, represent the different departments and indicate
which degree the student earned (yellow for medicine, red for law, light blue for com-
puter science, etc.). For good luck after graduation, men take their canes and tap other
students' top hats three times. (Of course, the taps get out of control, and lots of stu-
dents end up losing the tops of their hats.)
Much drinking accompanies this rite of passage, but it's the one time of year when
folks in Coimbra don't seem to mind. Ribbon-burning parties are also celebrated in
Porto, and to a lesser extent in Lisbon. Join the fun, and offer an appropriately colored
flower to a new graduate. You may be invited to the party.
The
MuseumofSacredArt,
farther down the corridor, may still be closed for renov-
ation. When it reopens, a painting of John the Baptist will again point the way to art that
nuns and priests find fascinating. The museum was created in 1910 to keep the art in
Coimbra when the new republic wanted to move it all to Lisbon. (Also in the corridor,
you'll find WCs—free with entry ticket—and a cheap student-filled café with a lovely
view of the river from the terrace.)
