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Portuguese celebrations part 2

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 Christmas tree and gifts The Christmas tree and the cribs are very popular in Portugal and there is no specific date to set them up: people set them up whenever they want. The presents are placed there before Christmas night, but very few open the presents at 12. Most go to sleep before midnight and open the presents the next day. Beautiful Christmas Lights Christmas lights are a big part of the celebration. Usually, they turn on around November (also because with the time change, it gets dark very early), but this year they turn on for less time to save energy. The turning on of lights, in many cities, becomes an event with music that can be enjoyed at different points. In Lisbon, for example, it was in the Plaza de Comercio and the lights will be on until January 6. Christmas markets There are many Christmas markets, both outdoors and indoors, where you can find national products and meals to enjoy with the family. For example, in Lisbon you can go to the Sintra Christmas market, ou
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Celebrations in Portugal

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 The christmas tree A typical element that is never lacking in Portuguese Christmas is fire. In Portugal, it is customary to light bonfires on Christmas Eve, burning wood and stumps, the bigger the better. This ancient tradition symbolizes the triumph of light over darkness and therefore the longer the fire burns, the better the New Year will be. In the interior of the country, Christmas is characterized by the ceremony of burning the Madero, during the night of December 24. It is carried out, above all, in the area that goes from Trás-os-Montes to Alto Alentejo, covering towns in the districts of Bragança, Guarda, Castelo Branco and Portalegre. It is a demonstration with a vocation for coexistence, in which the private custom of meeting around the fireplace is shared, consolidating the cohesion of the local group. It consists of a large bonfire that takes place in the atrium of the church, or in another similar place of social and spatial organization, where the population gathers aft
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Christmas traditions

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 Following the tradition, Portuguese families get together on December 24 for dinner and the table is served with cod dishes, although roast turkey and other meat dishes, which used to be enjoyed in the following days, also begin to integrate the menus. . For dessert, you cannot miss the Bolo-Rei, stuffed with crystallized fruit or dried fruit, as well as other characteristic pastries of the season such as Broas Castelares and traditional fried foods such as filhós, sonhos and rabanadas. At midnight the Missa do Galo is celebrated and in the churches, as well as in the houses, there is a special place for the manger, the recreation of the stable where Jesus was born, which Saint Francis of Assisi idealized in the 13th century, and which is very popular in Portugal. Christmas gifts are exchanged after midnight or on the morning of December 25, depending on the custom of each family. In the past, before Santa Claus animated Portuguese Christmas and left the gifts on the Tree, it was the
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Perlim, the largest Christmas theme park in Portugal

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 In the Portuguese town of Santa María da Feira (Aveiro, Porto) Christmas is lived with great intensity. Since 2008, the entire city has been transformed during these dates, and its emblematic Quinta do Castelo castle is home to the largest Christmas theme park in all of Portugal, Perlim. Every year, the originality of the park and the quality of the contents and attractions have been bringing thousands of visitors to Perlim, transforming this small initiative into a magical space with great tourist attraction, which every year attracts more Portuguese and Spanish, especially from neighboring areas such as Galicia. Perlim's story is based on a fantastic world, where two elves, Perlim and Pim Pim, are the main characters. In this way, the Christmas theme goes further and this theme park has managed to create its own imaginary around these two elves, their friends and other emblematic characters of popular culture such as Merlin or Santa Claus, in an environment that excites the most
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Christmas songs from Portugal

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 An interesting collection of Portuguese Christmas songs from the Smithsonian Institution's Folkways Collection. Any anthology of music for Christmas would be incomplete without the inclusion of the work of Fernando Lopes-Graça, considered by many to be the most outstanding composer of the 20th century. Starting at the age of only fourteen as a pianist at the Cine-Teatro de Tomar, his musical career was marked by his political activities as an opponent of the fascist regime.  This resulted in continued harassment of his studies at conservatories in Portugal and France, including exile and imprisonment. Despite such extreme vicissitudes, Lopes-Graça enriched Portuguese musicology with his assiduous investigation of traditional songs and dances that allowed the writing of two "Christmas Songs". They were first performed on Christmas Eve in 1950 and in 1961 and consisted of a total of thirty-four Christmas carols and ballads from mainly religious sources for the Nativity, Ne
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Christmas in Portugal

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In Portugal, Christmas means the birth of Jesus. The nativity scene is placed in homes, churches and even in the street for everyone to enjoy. We recreate the moment, as a family, placing the manger under the Christmas tree.  Christmas in Lisbon is similar to other European destinations. It is customary to gather with the family to celebrate Christmas Eve around a table and have Consoada, the main Christmas dish made with boiled cod or octopus, potatoes and Portuguese cabbage. Following tradition, Portuguese families gather on December 24 for dinner and the table is served with cod dishes, although roast turkey and other meat dishes, which used to be eaten in the following days, are also starting to be included in the menus.
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Portugal christmas food

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 Every major holiday in Portugal has its own seasonal dishes and sweets, and Christmas is no exception. Throughout Portugal, there is a wide variety of traditional Christmas foods, dishes and desserts. Christmas traditions in Portugal include lots of good food. Starting in mid-November, you will find many typical Christmas sweets in all bakeries and supermarkets. Bacalhau No Christmas in Portugal is complete without the star ingredient of the Portuguese country, bacalhau or salt cod. Locally caught fish is usually eaten on Christmas Eve when families enjoy a light meal known as "Consoada". All you have to do is decide how you want to serve your bacalhau. Some of the most common ways to prepare it are Pastéis de Bacalhau, cod fritters, or Bacalhau da Consoada, boiled cod with potatoes, cabbage, carrots and hard-boiled eggs with a drizzle of olive oil. Another common option for adventurers is Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá. This involves boiling the cod with potatoes and onions placed
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