Lisbon Residents Buy Wheat Sheaves for Tradition

Why this is here: A single ramo de espiga costs 3.50 euros, allowing busy city dwellers to participate in a tradition once centered around a day spent gathering in the countryside.

In Lisbon, Portugal, people are purchasing wheat sheaves—known as ramos de espiga—to observe the Day of the Sheaf, also called Ascension Thursday. Lurdes sells about 200 branches near the Egas Moniz Hospital, gathering wildflowers from the Ajuda neighborhood and buying wheat from a market. João purchases two sheaves to continue a family tradition, while Paulo reports strong sales near Cais do Sodré station.

Ermelinda, rushing to work, buys a branch for 3.50 euros, recalling a childhood spent gathering materials near Leiria. The tradition connects to both the Catholic celebration of Christ’s ascension and older rituals honoring spring and nature’s cycles.

The sheaves typically include wheat, poppies, olive branches, rosemary, and vines—each element symbolizing sustenance, love, peace, health, and joy. While interpretations of these symbols vary by family, the practice persists as a way to honor ancestral customs. The article notes that some would rather gather the materials themselves, but purchasing allows them to maintain the tradition.