Our First Christmas In Portugal

Our first Christmas in Portugal turned out to be one of the best and definitely most different we have had.

Last year, we spent the season in a whirlwind because we knew it was our last in the states for awhile. We attended all of the parties, went to many different light shows, saw all the movies, had our family Christmas party at our house and rang in the New Year at a friends house party. We had to get the house ready to sell in January so we were go, go, go all the time.

This year, the Christmas season was longer but has gone by quickly. Sheila was here with us in early November and helped pick out some decorations for the house. We bought a tree and decorated the house with the ornaments and things we brought over in two suitcases. We even got a little wreath to hang outside the gate.

Throughout November, we went into Caldas da Rainha to see the Christmas lights, went to the village Christmas market, and attended the Christmas tree lighting in our own village.

In early December, we went to Zagreb to see the Christmas market and attended a Christmas dinner. Eli came in mid December and we spent a few days visiting places around Portugal that he wanted to see.

So we did some of the same things we would normally do in the US, but it was not quite the same.

Christmas is a Season, not just one day

The Christmas season starts in November, right after Halloween. Thanksgiving isn’t a holiday here so everyone begins putting out Christmas lights and decorations early. However, most decorating is done as a community. Stores put out their lights and decorations and towns string lights through the streets and often do a city centre display. There is usually a large lighting ceremony.

Our town did one. They spent about two weeks assembling the lights and then at the end of November, there was a tree lighting ceremony complete with a band.

Community events are a big thing here. We had a Christmas market set up for a weekend in our town co-op hall. Local vendors came to sell crafts, housewares, dried fruits and nuts and olive oil. We, of course participated by buying some Christmas gifts and olive oil.

There was also a day just for the children. The children walked up from the elementary school in town to the centre square to visit with Santa and get a gift bag and dance in the…snow? Yep, our village had a snow machine out for the kids. It sprayed suds, basically since it was 60 degrees outside and snow would melt quickly. There was dancing and screaming and giggling and it was just magic.

Christmas Eve in Portugal

On Christmas Eve, our little village was bustling with people. The cafes and stores were open in the morning and there was lots of traffic through the village. That’s because Christmas Eve is a big deal. It’s when most families get together to have their feast. They serve the traditional bacalhau (salted codfish) dish with greens and boiled eggs. Although I love seafood, bacalhau is not my favorite. I’ve tried several dishes and it is just too salty and and fishy for my taste.

All grocery stores–the big ones at least sell bacalhau but there is a LOT of it at Christmas. I never really paid much attention to the stands, but this Christmas they were picked over and all that was left was a pile of salt. You prepare the fish by cutting it in slices and soaking it in water for 48 hours prior to cooking. I was mesmerised in the seafood section of our local Pingo Doce as the slicing machine was constantly cutting the fish. Large plastic bags were being filled. You can imagine the smell in the air.

A little Christmas magic

A day or two before Christmas, I was out walking the dogs as usual. I walk the dogs mostly on the same route (depending on the time of day) and I always speak to the people I meet with a bom dia, boa tarde, or boa noite. Most respond in kind.

This one day as I passed by one of the houses, the owner was coming out with her bucket for cleaning and I said boa tarde! She responded and then pointed to the tree in her yard and asked me a question. Since my Portuguese is not that great, it took a minute to figure out what she was asking. She wanted to know if I wanted some lemons. I said yes, still unsure of what I was getting.

She put up a finger and said to hold on a minute (in Portuguese. I am sure she knew no English). She came out with a bag and walked around the tree picking lemons. She handed it to me and said “Feliz Natal!” I almost cried. First of all, I love lemons and second, it was just a sweet gesture to someone she didn’t really know. It made me feel a little more a part of the community.

Noisy Night, silent morning

We spent our Christmas Eve eating a roasted chicken and watching Christmas movies with Eli. It was pretty calm in our house, but as the evening went on, we could hear the parties from our open bedroom window.

Christmas morning, however, was so quiet. There were hardly any cars or foot traffic out. We opened a few presents and ate a little to tie us over to the Christmas feast we were having at our Scottish friends, Meg and Geoff’s house.

We all volunteered to cook some dishes to share and bring drinks. We started at about 2pm and went on into the afternoon and evening. This time, we were the party in town. As the rest of the village rested, we drank, played darts, and had a great time by the fire outside. It was a great day.

Unfortunately, the next day we had to say goodbye to Eli. He headed down south to the Algarve to meet his father and aunt to spend the rest of the holiday. As for us, we are unsure about our New Years plans but I am sure we will come up with something. You know we are a rolling party.

All in all, Christmas has been lovely. Not having our family and friends from the US around has made us a little sad but we are finding joy in our new lives and our wonderful community here. I cannot wait to see what 2024 brings.