Halloween in Portugal

Is Halloween celebrated in Portugal?

Halloween is becoming more popular in Portugal. It is easy to buy costumes in Chinese stores. But it is not a traditional celebration in Portugal. Because a few centuries ago, the Catholic church condemned the pagan Celtic festival. But, the church established a new date for honoring the dead. That is All Saints’ day.

When is All Saints’ day?

All Saints’ Day is on November 1st.

How is All Saints’ day celebrated in Portugal?

It is a national holiday in Portugal and an important day for many Catholic countries. The Portuguese honor the loved ones who have died. And also the saints and martyrs who died in honor of Jesus’ words. The Portuguese families go to the cemetery. They clean, decorate the graves and turn on a candle for their departed loved ones. The candles are left on the tombstones and kept alight during the night because the next day is the Day of the Dead (November 2nd).

Banks, stores, post offices, museums, and other public services are closed during this public holiday. Also, public transport runs on a reduced timetable.

Halloween Traditions in Portugal

The English schools in Portugal teach pumpkin carving and tricks. The biggest metropolises, such as Porto and Lisbon, have a foreign community in Portugal. So, don’t be surprised if you see a bar or restaurant with a special party for Halloween night.

All Saints’ Day Traditions in Portugal

Pão de Deus or Pão por Deus

It means Bread for God. In 1756, people roamed the streets of Lisbon in this way, knocking on doors and asking for any alms, even if it was bread. Given their desperation, people asked for Bread from God. In gratitude, many beggars prayed in honor of the family’s dead, who offered him food.

There are records of the day of Pão de Deus in the 15th century. After the Great Lisbon earthquake (1755), the survivors had to ask for this bread in the neighboring towns.

If you visit the different regions in Portugal, you can eat other sweet bread. But at the pastry in Portugal, you can buy Pão de Deus, a piece of sweet bread with coconut at the top.

Some villages don’t offer bread, but soup! It is typical in the Douro Valley! The name is sopa do pobre (poor’s soup).

Pão de Deus Recipe

Ingredients

For mass:
500g of flour
two eggs
70g of sugar
Two tablespoons of Butter
7 g of bread yeast
1 cup of warm water

For coverage:
two cups of grated coconut
three eggs
One tablespoon of butter
1 cup of sugar

Instructions:

For mass:

Place flour, eggs, sugar, butter, bread, yeast, and water in a bowl. Mix it the dough well.
Knead the dough for a few minutes. Cut in a small pieces (75 g for each part).
Line a baking tray with parchment paper and place the dough.
Let the dough rest.

For coverage:

Mix the coconut, sugar, butter, and two eggs.
Brush the buns with one beaten egg.
Take pieces of this mixture and place them on top of the balls already on the board.
Place in a preheated oven at 200 degrees for about 25 minutes.
Remove the tray from the oven and sprinkle the buns with icing sugar.

Check out these popular recipes:

Is coconut bread gluten-free?

No, that is the traditional recipe. But there’s a gluten-free recipe.

How about celebrating Halloween in Portugal?

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