Christmas in Portugal
"Feliz Natal"
The consoada (Christmas meal) is eaten in the early hours of Christmas Day in Portugal. The fogueira da consoada (Yule log) burns in the fireplace and even in churchyards. The ashes of the log are kept and burned with pine cones later in the year, during thunderstorm season. People believe that where the smoke goes no thunderbolt will strike. An old custom is to welcome the souls of the dead on Christmas. Seeds are scattered for them on the hearth and left to the dead so that they can bring back fruits or grain at harvest.
A big tradition of the Portuguese Christmas is the Lapinha, a Nativity scene with the top reserved for the Christ Child (the Menino Jesus). The display consists of one to seven (sometimes even more) tiers. Arranged on the tiers below are houses, candles, angels and animals. The Lapinha is completed by decorating it with flowers to give it more colour. It is displayed until the Feast of the Three Kings which is celebrated on 6th January.
