On the back of the Ala-Arriba t-shirt, between "Que dizes" and rabanada (Portuguese-style French toast), there is a word many people from outside Póvoa don't know: Tricana. She is one of the most striking figures of Poveiro identity, and her story is worth telling.
Who was the tricana poveira?
The tricana poveira was a girl of the people who dressed in a showy, eye-catching way. Her outfit combined a shawl, blouse, apron, skirt, headscarf and glossy high-heeled slippers. They were, as a rule, town girls, many of them seamstresses and daughters of shoemakers, carpenters and other tradespeople, and their way of dressing and walking became a trademark of Póvoa.
Tricana and fisherwoman: not the same thing
The women of the fishing community wore a similar outfit, but a humbler one: a longer skirt, more modest materials and darker colours. The tricana was the showy, urban version, and the fisherwoman was the working version. Together, they show two faces of the same community.
The age of the tricanas
The tricana's heyday was between the 1920s and the 1960s, and her impact was felt both among the poveiros and among the outsiders who visited the town. The outfit was the fashion among middle-class teenagers until ready-to-wear clothing arrived in the 1970s.
How a tricana dressed
In the festive, recreational version, the outfit has a multicoloured apron, a silk or lace blouse with a collar, a black skirt, striped sheer stockings and fine-heeled slippers. There is also an ethnographic version, more sober but just as rich.
Where to see tricanas today
Today, tricanas appear mainly in folklore groups and parades. The big moment is the Rusgas de São Pedro (the Saint Peter parades) on 28 and 29 June, when tricanas play a central role in the town's festivities. In 1993, the Grupo Recreativo e Etnográfico "As Tricanas Poveiras" was founded to keep this tradition alive. If you want to understand the rest of the festival, we'll soon have an article about São Pedro.
Women and the camisola poveira
The tricana is just one of Póvoa's female figures. The camisola poveira (the traditional Poveiro sweater), for example, was knitted by the women who stayed ashore, and it is seen as a symbol of longing. After the tragedy of 27 February 1892, which plunged the fishing community into mourning, the traditional costume went into mourning too. To meet another striking figure of this community, read the story of Cego do Maio.
Why she's on the Ala-Arriba t-shirt
080AYA's Ala-Arriba collection isn't only about the sea and the men of the sea. It's about the whole of Póvoa, with its faith, its accent, its table and its people. The tricana is there because she represents Póvoa seen, dressed up and proud of itself, which is as important a part of Poveiro identity as what happens at the lota (the fish auction).
Whoever wears the t-shirt carries a story to tell. And whoever asks "what is a tricana?" ends up getting to know Póvoa a little better.