CHRISTMAS

Photo: Barcelos in Christmas time

Christmas, in our region, is celebrated in a very funny way. The streets are shiny and lively and we can listen to lots of carols. Christmas spirit invades everyone.

At home the family gathers together to celebrate Jesus birth. The family joins to have dinner and to open the presents. Christmas traditional dinner is very appreciated. We have boiled codfish with potatoes and vegetables and stuffed turkey. As dessert we have many traditional sweets like sweet noodles, sweet fried “dreams”, king cake, sponge cake and also some pies, cakes and chocolates ... After dinner we play games and tell stories. The youngest people are euphoric waiting for the presents opening but it only happens after midnight. At midnight we go to the “Cock’s Mess” at church were Jesus birth is dramatized.

On 25 th everybody is tired and wakes up later but the party goes on. At lunch time we have a traditional dish called “Old Clothes”, made with the remaining of dinner.

Then people go home and wait for another party, next year.

AUTUMN

O Outono

O Outono é uma estação moderadamente fria, este ano fomos presenteados com uma bonita queda de neve.
Como é usual durante o Outono em Portugal caem as folhas das árvores, já muito amarelecidas. Estas uma vez no chão formam autênticos tapetes de folhas que se movem à nossa passagem.
É durante o Outono que acontece uma festividade tipicamente portuguesa, o Magusto, Dia de S. Martinho. Nesta festividade comem-se castanhas, fruto do castanheiro. Normalmente comem-se castanhas assadas na fogueira onde, como é tradição se cantam canções típicas desta festividade.



The Autumn


The autumn season is moderately cold, this year we were presented with a beautiful snowfall.
As is usual in Portugal during the autumn the leaves fall from trees, as much yellow.
These once formed the floor mats of leaves authentic moving on our way.
It is the autumn festival that is a typically Portuguese, the Magusto, Day of S. Martinho. This festival is eating nuts, fruit of the chestnut. Usually eat nuts are baked in fire where, as we sing traditional songs are typical of this festival.