Transcript in PORTUGAL - agpico.edu.pt

CHRISTMAS TRADITION
in
PORTUGAL
CHRISTMAS IS …
The religious celebration of the
birth of Jesus Christ.
CHRISTMAS IS …
Peace, harmony and having the
family reunited.
The Christmas spirit
Along the streets, we can see coloured
lights and Christmas decorations
Recreation of the Nativity scene
In every house, people re-create the stable where Jesus
was born. The Nativity scene is built with moss, straw,
vegetation and pieces of pottery at the beginning of
Advent.
Baby Jesus is placed in the Christmas crib only after the
midnight Mass (the Mass of the Rooster).
At home, just as in the local church, people find
a special place to put the Saviour’s crib from
the nativity.
Christmas ornaments
Christmas Eve
In Portugal, especially in the North,
on the night of the 24th of
December, Christmas Eve is called
“consoada”.
Families get together for the
“Consoada” dinner.
Extra places are set at the table for
the “alminhas” ("the souls of the
dead").
The “Consoada” meal consists of
boiled codfish, eggs,
Boiled potatoes, cabbages, onions,
and octopus
And for dessert
a wide variety of traditional
sweets
“Rabanadas”
Red Wine Rabanadas
Creamed Egg Rabanadas
“Sonhos”
“Formigos” or “Mexidos”
“Aletria”
“Bolo Rei”
Chocolate Bolo-Rei with dried fruits
“Bolinhos de Jerimu”
Azevias
Filhoses
“Pão de Ló”
Coscorões
And many other desserts
After the meal,the table is never
completely cleaned. Some cakes and
dried fruits are left for the souls.
At the end of dinner, people sing
Christmas Carols and play games.
Before midnight, all the family
members go to church to attend
the mass of the rooster which starts
at midnight.
Baby Jesus is given to be kissed
In the regions of Bragança, Guarda or Castelo
Branco, a Yule log is burned in the atrium of the
village church after mass.
People sing and dance around it.
It helps keep everyone warm through the night
and to wish family and friends a Merry
Christmas.
At midnight, there is a firework
display
Others prefer to return home
and open the presents
Portuguese Christmas suffered some
influences of other traditions
o One
of
the
influence
is
the
replacement of the Baby Jesus by
Father Christmas in the delivery of
the presents.
Before, children would put their
shoes in the living-room for Jesus
to leave a present in them.
Now, it is Santa Claus that hands-out
the presents.
On the 25th, lunch consists of the traditional
“Roupa Velha” (old clothes), made of the
leftovers of the previous day.
Dinner consists of various
meats.
Roast Turkey
Roast kid or pork meat
The family eats and drinks all night.
“FELIZ NATAL”
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Work done for
the Comenius Project