One of the most colourful and oldest festivals in Guimarães is called the Nicolinas (the feast of St. Nicholas; the devotion to St. Nicholas was spread by pilgrims, as the Saint was a protector of poor girls, oppressed and destitute people, merchants, prisoners, children and students), and it is celebrated by students. The ‘Nicolinas’ are the local student festivals, taking place from the 29th of November to the 8th of December, named after St. Nicholas; the St. Lucy’s Day celebrations take place on the 13th of December. It has several significant moments and it includes events such as the planting of a pine tree in the main square, the collection of offerings (mostly food and drink) from wealthy homes, which are then shared in the streets. Moreover, there is a night of 'robberies' during which objects are removed from public places and left in the central square where they can be recovered by their owners, reciting poetry in the streets and offering apples to young ladies on their balconies. The apples are stuck on long poles or lances, and the ladies thus honoured accept them and return the gesture with some sort of trinket. The festivities end with a grand Nostalgia Ball.
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