Natal - Christmas in Portugal
Christmas in Portugal is a catholic holiday but mostly it is a day to bring together as many family members as possible. It is a family celebration. Preparations begin during the afternoon of the 24th, preparing everything for the consoada. The consoada is the Christmas late dinner that usually goes on throughout the night. Fireplaces are filled with logs that will remain until dawn and pine cones are put to roast. Codfish is the main dish at the consoada table, always accompanied by boiled potatoes and greens, complete with drizzles of the best homemade olive oil.
The second dish, which is served much later, varies according to the traditions of each region. In Minho you will find octopus, but in Beira-Alta and Baixa, the presence of roasted meat is also common. Usually goat (kid meat), but in the Algarve, you are most likely to find lamb. Roasted turkey stuffed with chestnut purée is not traditional but is now finding itself more at Christmas dinner tables.
At the end of the meal, the table is cleaned and desserts are served, accompanied by port wine. The tables are filled with bolo rei (King’s Cake), a crown-shaped cake decorated with crystallized fruit; sonhos (fried dough with sugar and cinnamon), and rabanadas, a Portuguese version of french toast covered with sugar and cinnamon.
But a very unique Portuguese treat will find itself at most tables. The Lampreia de ovos. For more than 2,000 years the wealthy impressed their guests by serving elaborate lamprey dishes. Its consumption was exclusively reserved for the upper classes. So a sweet copy of the lamprey was made for everyone to enjoy at Christmas.
After dinner, the children remove the pine nuts from the pine cones that have been roasting. Many families will go to Midnight Mass at church, without removing the tables, since according to tradition, the angels feed themselves the leftover food. The midnight Mass, known as Missa do Galo, is called this because according to legend, the only time a rooster (Galo) crowed at midnight was when Jesus was born.
The next morning or more commonly after mass, depending on the children´s excitement is when presents are opened. Children run to the slippers/shoes (not stockings) and open the gifts under the Christmas tree. But the main focus of Christmas decorations in a Portuguese household is not the tree or the lights. What stands out in a traditional Portuguese house at Christmas is the nativity scene, This takes days to make. Some families go to the mountains to collect moss and pebbles, true miniature villages are built, populated with figurines all surrounding baby Jesus.
The next day, family lunch is served again, usually with the leftover codfish in a dish called “Roupa Velha”. And since some family members have come from far away, there is usually a lot of traffic on the 25th. The night of the 25th is also a popular night to go out to party with friends, so after the Portuguese celebrate Christmas with family you can find them at night in bars with friends.
A pagan tradition also is celebrated on the 24th of December in Trás-os-Montes called Caretos de Varge, this celebrates the return of the sun, which on the 24th of December begins, in the northern hemisphere, to grow, giving more hours to the day and less to the night. Masked men, with colorful patchwork clothes, called caretos, spread absolute disorder in the village of Varge, in Trás-os-Montes, rattling the women, this act symbolizing the return to the fertile land.
In addition, in places like Castelo Branco, they take all of the large excess wood or fallen trees and create a huge bonfire that many come out to the town square to visit after mass and chat with neighbors.
Christmas - What is Happening in Lisbon?
Lisbon will be illuminated on December 6th on all streets until the 6th of January 2023 (between 6 pm and midnight) but there is much more to see in the city besides the lights, such as a giant ball of light in Largo Camões and the Christmas tree in Terreiro do Paço.
Christmas Markets
In the Christmas spirit, Christmas markets will flourish all over the city.
Wonderland Lisboa no Parque Eduardo VII
A Christmas fair with a Ferris wheel and an ice skating rink Christmas Market in Rossio, Baixa e Chiado
With traditional handicrafts and gastronomy stalls Anjos 70 Flea Market in Anjos e Arroios
Art & Fleamarket with more than 100 stalls with products for all tastes, from second-hand brands, handcrafts, decorations, ecological pieces, plants, jewelry, costume jewelry, and cosmetics, among many others. Mercado de Natal in Alvalade
Avenida da Igreja is hosting this event until the 11 of December,
A Santa Claus house and tons of stalls with traditional Portuguese Christmas sweets Mercado Lx Rural in Lx Factory, at Alcântara
The Lx Rural is a fresh produce market directly from the producer that takes place on Sundays at the Lx Factory. Feira do Mocho in Mercado de Santa Clara in Jardim de Santos
On the 4th, 11th, and 18th of December, find everything for your Christmas dinner. Crafts & Design Market in Jardim da Estrela
Jardim da Estrela is the hosts on the 3rd, 4th, 17th and 18th of December, creative gifts market O Reino de Natal em Sintra
will feature a Christmas train, video mapping show, and other animations, as well as a traditional Christmas Market along the National Palace of Sintra. Vila Natal de Cascais
will entertain with a Ferris Wheel next to the bay, an ice rink, a train, and even a Christmas race. Mercado de Natal Solidário Dona Ajuda, Mercado do Rato
Find Christmas gifts at affordable prices and at the same time contribute to a charitable cause.
Whether you are staying in Portugal for Christmas, joining local friends for the first time, or heading to your home country, this is just a little insight into what Christmas is all about in Portugal!