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What are Christmas traditions in Portugal

Portuguese Christmas Traditions

Christmas in Lisbon PortugalAre you planning to visit Portugal for Christmas? Find out some of the best Portuguese Christmas traditions and celebrate like a local!

How do you say Merry Christmas in Portugal?

It is Feliz Natal. It is the usual way to wish a merry Christmas in Portuguese. You can also say boas festas, which refers to Christmas and New Year.

Where should you go for Christmas in Portugal?

These are the best place to spend Christmas in Portugal:

christmas tree in Portugal

Portuguese Christmas Traditions

Similar to many other European cities, Portugal is no exception in decorating its streets. Starting at the beginning of December, the streets will carry the Christmas lights and music until January.

The best way to spend Christmas in Portugal is checking before the Christmas musical programs, Christmas market, Urban market (urban handcraft), The Mass of the Rooster (in Portuguese Missa do Galo), and entertainment in the historic centers of towns and villages in Portugal.

Most Portuguese are catholic. In Portuguese houses, you will find a Christmas tree or Christmas Cribs (nativity scene).

Read here: Portugal Gift Ideas.

What is the weather in Portugal for Christmas?

Temperatures are usually mild, with an average maximum of 17.° C and an average minimum of 10.° C.

Portugal Travel Tips: Know Before You Go.

What do Portuguese eat for Christmas dinner?

The Portuguese families gather on the 24th of December at the dinner table. Christmas Dinner is called Consoada. It serves up cod, octopus, and conger fish dishes. For dessert, there are Bolo Rei (King’s Cake filled with candied fruits or nuts, in addition to delicious traditional fried desserts), Bolo Rainha (it filled with almonds and nuts), filhós (traditional deep-fried sweet pastry sprinkled with a mixture of sugar and cinnamon), rabanadas (a type of French toast), aletria (angel hair, milk, sugar, yolks of eggs, cinnamon), Arroz doce (rice pudding), and pão-de-ló (sponge cake).

Portuguese Recipes for Christmas

Pão-de-ló sponge cake Christmans cakeThe best Portuguese Cake is Pão-de-ló (sponge cake). Here you have the recipe:

Ingredients

18 egg yolks

Three egg whites

315 gr sugar

90 gr cake flour

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 200.º C. Add the egg yolks, egg whites, and sugar in a free-stand mixer bowl. Beat for 10 to 12 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Then, gently fold the flour into the batter until mixed in completely. Lightly grease an aluminum cake pan for sponge cake with butter. And sprinkle with flour (in the traditional bakery, they use paper to cover the clay cake pan). Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake until golden brown. And knife inserted into the cake come out clean, about 40 minutes. Let the cake come out clean for about 40 minutes. Let the cake cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then carefully turn the cake out of the pan.

Portuguese Sponge Cake by Gordon Ramsay

Chef Gordon visited Portugal a few months ago. And he visited a historic bakery in Portugal. Take a look!

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