Is it really suitable?
The Epiphany celebrations in the Portuguese village of Vale de Salgueiro feature a tradition that each year causes an outcry among outsiders: Parents encouraging their children, some as young as 5, to smoke cigarettes.
A young boy smokes in the street in the village of Vale de Salgueiro, northern Portugal, during the local Kings' Feast Friday, Jan. 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
Locals say the practice has been passed down for centuries as part of a celebration of life tied to the Christian Epiphany and the winter solstice — but nobody is sure what it symbolizes or exactly why parents buy the packs of cigarettes for their children and encourage them to take part.
The two-day celebrations, which start Friday and end Saturday with a Mass, include dancing around bonfires, a piper playing music and an elected "king" who distributes plentiful wine and snacks.
The legal age to purchase tobacco in Portugal is 18, but nothing prohibits parents from giving kids cigarettes and Portuguese authorities don't intervene to stop the practice.
Guilhermina Mateus, a 35-year-old coffee shop owner, cites custom as the reason why she gives her daughter cigarettes.
Fernando, 6-years-old, smokes a cigarette in the village of Vale de Salgueiro, northern Portugal, during the local Kings' Feast Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
"I can't explain why. I don't see any harm in that because they don't really smoke, they inhale and immediately exhale, of course," Mateus said Saturday. "And it's only on these days, today and tomorrow. They never ask for cigarettes again."
Jose Ribeirinha, a writer who has published a book on the Vale do Salgueiro festivities, said the roots of the tradition are unknown, but may have to do with celebrating the rebirth of nature and human life. He said the village is in a region that adheres to many traditions dating back to pagan times, and that since Roman times, during the winter solstice period villagers here have taken the liberty to do things that would be out of the norm in the rest of the year.
Alexandre Taveira, wearing his "king" crown, leaves a house after collecting a contribution for the organization of the local Kings' Feast in the village of Vale de Salgueiro, northern Portugal, Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
Ribeirinha also believes the relative seclusion of the remote village — 450 kilometers (280 miles) northeast of the capital Lisbon — has helped keep the tradition alive. He said that the surrounding Tras os Montes region "has always been the furthest from Lisbon, the most 'forgotten one.'"
Portugal, like many other European countries, has taken steps to reduce smoking, including a partial ban on smoking indoors.
GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Guatemalan prosecutors raided the offices of the charity Save the Children on Thursday, citing a complaint alleging the violation of migrant children’s rights.
Prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche said in a video to the media that the complaint filed by an unidentified foreigner had raised serious concerns because it involved allegations of abuse of children.
The raid came a week after the secretary general of Guatemala's Public Ministry, Ángel Pineda, wrote a letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton asking for support in addressing allegations that Save the Children and other aid groups “could be participating in child trafficking operations.”
Curruchiche said the raid was intended to search for any documents that might support the accusations. The prosecutor’s office did not say whether Paxton responded to the request.
Curruchiche and Pineda have been accused of trying to undermine the country’s democracy by participating in a failed effort to prevent anti-corruption President Bernardo Arévalo from taking power as well as hindering the anti-corruption fight in the Central American nation. Those efforts have led to more than 40 countries sanctioning them, including the United States and the European Union.
The raid comes amid historic levels of migration to the United States, in which Guatemala has been both a country that people migrate from and a transit route that they use on their way north.
Save the Children, which is dedicated to caring for children in crisis zones, has been working in Guatemala since 1976. It did not comment on Thursday's raid, but it issued a statement last week indicating it was aware of the allegations saying it has no evidence the allegations are true.
“We take the allegations of children's safety and misconduct very seriously and have independent investigative mechanisms in place to investigate thoroughly,” the charity's statement said. “We have no evidence to validate such allegations and we continue to work hard to provide humanitarian assistance to migrant children and their families under strict safety and protection standards."
Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
Agents from the Attorney General's office leave Save the Children's headquarters after conducting a raid of the installation, in Guatemala City, Thursday, April 25, 2024. The NGO is being investigated for an alleged complaint about the violation of migrant children's rights, according to statements made by prosecutor Rafel Curruchiche. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
Police agents stand guard on the perimeters of the Save the Children's headquarters as agents from the Attorney General's office wind up their raid, in Guatemala City, Thursday, April 25, 2024. The NGO is being investigated for an alleged complaint about the violation of migrant children's rights, according to statements made by prosecutor Rafel Curruchiche. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
An agent from the Attorney General's office carries evidence collected at Save the Children's headquarters during a raid, in Guatemala City, Thursday, April 25, 2024. The NGO is being investigated for an alleged complaint about the violation of migrant children's rights, according to statements made by prosecutor Rafel Curruchiche. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
An agent from the Attorney General's office enters Save the Children's headquarters during a raid, in Guatemala City, Thursday, April 25, 2024. The NGO is being investigated for an alleged complaint about the violation of migrant children's rights, according to statements made by prosecutor Rafel Curruchiche. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
