Queima #3 - Cortejo

Queima das Fitas: "The Burning of the Stripes"...

Every faculty of the Universidade do Porto and every private university or polytechnic has its own colour or bicolor. The stripes can be bound to the student's bag in his/her 4th (=second last ) year... in the 5th (=last) year the stripes will be burned which symbolizes the end of the course.
Tuesday was the day of the Cortejo (pageant/Umzug). Every faculty (/polytechnic, private university) has its own car in the Cortejo and they start in order of the foundation of the faculty.
So the first one is medicine, second sciences, third engineering (80 years old), 4th arts, etc.
There is a big rivalry between all the faculties and most of all between the faculties of one course from the Universidade do Porto (state university) and the corresponding courses from the private university or polytechnic.
The Cortejo starts at the REITORIA of the Universidade do Porto and ends down-town in front of the town hall where the finalists are introduced to the mayor and the finally caloiros* become "real" students.

Since there are so many private universities (at least 4 that I can think of) and polytechnics along the state university and its faculties the last car might pass the mayor only after midnight.

*:: for more info read the comments in the photo album!

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photos are here::

Cortejo