Portugal celebrates four times in December

Portugal celebrates four times in December. They start on the 1st, as it is the day of the restoration of their independence. Then on the 8th of December, when they celebrate the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, the patron saint of Portugal.

The Portuguese celebrate Christmas on 24-25 December. The gift-giving is on the morning of the 25th. The Christmas tree and lights are often put up a month before. In the windows, you can see not only decorations, but also a complete nativity scene, known in Portugal as the “Presépio”. The Christmas tree is usually either an artificial tree or a rental tree, thus supporting different areas, such as firefighters, who use the proceeds to buy their equipment for the following year.

In Portugal, Santa Claus does not come at the beginning of December, but Pai Natal, the local Santa Claus, brings Christmas presents instead of Father Christmas. The traditional Christmas dish here is cod, or bacalhau.

The December marathon celebrations end, of course, with New Year’s Eve.