Water whirl
MALACCA: It was a wet day at the Portuguese Settlement in Ujong Pasir here as hundreds of residents and visitors took part in the traditional Intrudu water-splashing festival.
The revellers drenched each other, and visitors who were caught unawares, with pails of water and garden hoses.
The youngsters “armed” themselves with water pistols and pails of water with ice cubes. Some threw water-filled balloons at each other.
The centuries-old celebration is unique to the 1,200-strong Portuguese-eurasian community here as it is the only Catholic village that performs the fun-filled water rite prior to the start of the Catholic fasting period of Lent.
The water-dousing symbolises purification before the start of fasting and penance.
The Intrudo or “introduction” or “coming before” in the local Cristao language is celebrated on the Sunday preceding Ash Wednesday, which falls on Feb 22.
Lent is a season of fasting and penance leading to Easter Sunday on April 8. The water festival traces it roots to the arrival of the Portuguese to local shores in 1511.