Christmas in Portugal
By Alex
What is Christmas in Portugal about?
- Christmas is celebrated on Christmas Eve rather then on Christmas Day.
- Some children wait for the Three Wise Men instead of Santa.
- Is about the birth of Jesus Christ.
- Have a feast called "Consoada".
- "Christmas Log" (a bark that burns all through Consoada).
- A Jesus Christ nativity called the Creche is very important.
How do people in Portugal celebrate Christmas?
- The kids write letters to Santa or Baby Jesus asking for presents.
- They have a fruitcake (Bolo rei) with two different surprises, the first one is a bean, if you find it you have to buy the Bolo rei for next year, the second one is a token, if you find it you get to keep it but this has been discontinued since the mid-90s, most likely because some people probably choked on it.
- On Christmas Eve Pai Natal (Santa) puts presents under the Christmas tree and in shoes by the fireplace.
- Some kids think Santa is the one that brings the presents, others think its Baby Jesus, others think its the Three Wise Men.
- The kids receive presents on Christmas Eve.
What foods and symbols are associated with Christmas in Portugal?
- Consoada is a feast that has codfish, green vegetables, boiled potatoes, shellfish, wild meats, or other expensive foods.
- They have fried cookies.
- They have Bolo Rei and Bolo Rainha which is the same as bolo rei but without the candied fruit.
- They have rice pudding
- They have nuts