Lapinha

This is the word used in Madeira for the ‘presépios’ (Christmas cribs), which have been so widespread here for centuries. We believe it to be a word peculiar to this archipelago. It must be the diminutive of ‘lapa’ in the sense of a cave, grotto or hollow in a rock, by analogy or resemblance with the place where the Divine Redeemer was born. It is possible that in former times they kept this analogy or resemblance, but at present Madeiran ‘lapinhas’ are generally set up on a table. At their centre is a small stepped stand a few decimetres high, with three adjoining flights, on top of which the image of the Christ Child is placed. On all the steps and around the stand are arranged the ‘pastores’ (shepherds) and various ornaments, sometimes very odd and with little connection to the rest of the crib. In keeping with their surroundings, they have certain features of their own, such as decorations of sprigs of the ‘alegra-campo’ shrub and of ‘cabrinhas’ ferns, which give them a picturesque and cheerful look. The so-called ‘pastores’ have a certain originality: small clay figures of rough local make which almost never represent shepherds or herdsmen, but people from the various social classes.

‘Lapinhas’ with so-called ‘rochinhas’ (little rocks) are still very common. These imitate a small stretch of very rugged ground, made from sugar-cane ‘socas’ (root stumps), and usually keep at the base a small ‘furna’ (cave) representing the Nativity in tiny clay figures.

There used to be, though today they are very rare, these same ‘rochas’ on a larger scale, showing churches, roads, small villages, etc. Although the whole lacked much harmony, they had a certain original picturesqueness. See ‘Christmas’.