The 20th annual Great Feast of the Holy Ghost of New England, held on in Fall River on August 26, 2006, celebrates the ritual of the Bodo De Leite, a tradition that dates to the 14th Century in Portugal in which Queen Isabel distributed loaves of bread and containers of milk to the poor in opposition to her husband King Diniz's wishes. In the parade, loaves of sweet bread are blessed, cut up and served with a cup of goat's milk to those that line the parade route. President Carlos Cesar, had of the autonomous Azorean government, attended the feast in Fall River for the first time. "As you can see, Fall River is the American capital of the Azores," Cesar said in an interview with the Fall River Spirit newspaper, noting how immigrants have embraced the city while continuing to practice the culture and traditions they brought with them across the ocean. "We can see Azorean people all over the world Cesar said, noting how some of his fellow citizens have branched out across the globe, relocating to Brazil and even Uruguay. Cesar noted how close a bond his countrymen feel for their Azorean brethren now living in America, and how those ties lend them a unique perspective on world politics. " We feel like citizens of the Atlantic," he said. "We can see both side [of issues]." (Text courtesy of Rick Snizek, Fall River Spirit)
 

(Top row, left) Fatima and Fernando Sales prepare to march from the new Ponta Delgada Gates on the city's waterfront to Kennedy Park. (Top row, center) Manuel and Theresa Perpetua of the Amigos de Terceira pose before the start of the parade. (Top row, right) Mayor Edward M. Lambert, Jr., greets President of the Regional Government of the Azores Carlos Cesar, the feast's honored guest. (Middle row, left) Members of the Grupo de Musica Popular Ilhas de Bruma (Misty Island) of Fall River sing some traditional Azorean songs. (Middle row, center) Jordan and Jason Fonseca of Cranston cross the square behind the Gates. (Middle row, right) Joe Raposo of Westport and his grandson ready his oxen for the parade. (Bottom row, left and right) Members of the Philip Street Hall Band from East Providence, R.I., perform along the parade route on Columbia Street. (Bottom row, center) A parade-goer receives some of the traditional sweet bread distributed to the crowd.