PORTUGUESE TRADITIONS - CHRISTMAS!

Christmas is a Christian religious holiday, the second most important Christian festival after Easter. Observed throughout the Western world on 25 December, it is traditionally marked by feasting and gift-giving. In the Christian church, it is the day on which the birth of Jesus is celebrated .The children believe in Santa Claus (called "Pai Natal" - which means: Father Christmas) and the parents tell them that is the baby Jesus who helps Santa with the presents,
The children receive the presents at midnight of 24/25 December or early in 25 th December morning. When we were children we put the shoes near the fireplace as a receptacle for the presents, but nowadays only few childrens do that.

The most part of family set up a Nativity scene (called Presépio), with Mary, Joseph, the cow and the donkey, the three wise men, and lots of other figures The figure of the Christ Child is added to the scene after the family attends Midnight Mass or after midnight....

But everybody have a Christmas tree too; the typical colours are the gold, red and green. The consoada is the reunion of the family, until they wait for the coming of Father Christmas at midnight and takes place on the dinner of 24 th December/Christmas Eve, not in the morning of 25.

During the consoada we dinner (boiled codfish and Portuguese sprouts (in pure olive oil) normally). And then everybody puts lots of desserts in the table and typical plates (rice pudding with cinamon, "rabandas"-seems like french toast, "filhoses"-fried desserts, "broas de mel" (pastries made with honey) “Sonhos” -pumpkin fritters ) Another very traditional desert is the "Bolo Rei" (King's cake) "which is a wreath-like very rich fruit cake laced with crystallized fruits and pine nuts." There is a little present inside the cake and a broadbean-who find the broadbean in one slice, must pay the next “King Cake”. At midnight, there are also families who attend to the church for a special Midnight Mass, called "Missa do galo"-"Rooster’s Mass", but it happens more in the interior, who are more religious.

During the Christmas day Portuguese people visit the friends and family and have a big lunch normally with roast chicken, lamb or turkey. They sing a Christmas songs and they say:

Merry Christmas!

Traduction by Alda Moreira