CHRISTMAS EVE 2023

PORTO
PORTUGAL BY MIRAGAIA RIO
CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS IN PORTUGAL

While in other countries Christmas day is the most important celebration, this isn’t the case in
Portugal. Christmas eve on December 24th is the main day of celebration. Families get together
to enjoy dinner and celebrate until late.

Gatherings tend to start between 6 and 7 pm. Supermarkets and retail business tend to close
around 7 pm on the 24th and most of them are closed on the 25th.
While dinner is only served later, between 8 and 9 pm, for a few hours, families enjoy their time
together, drinking wine and enjoying some starters.

For Christmas eve dinner in Portugal, we normally have bacalhau (salted cod) with potatoes,
boiled egg, and cabbage.

Any left over cod is put away for the next day and made into “roupa velha”, translated into “old
clothes”. This is a mix of cod, potatoes, Portuguese cabbage, and boiled egg that is delicious.

Christmas Markets and Events:

https://www.feelporto.com/blog/en/experiences/6-christmas-markets-in-porto-2023/

https://www.porto.pt/en/news/christmas-in-porto-returns-to-aliados-with-concerts-by-diogo-picarr
a-buba-espinho-and-sofia-escobar

Restaurants with Christmas Menu (I advice booking it in advance):

https://www.thefork.pt/search?cityId=434086&saleTypeTagId[]=6

SOME OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS

Although there are a lot of places open on the 24th, most of commercial places closes around 7
pm and it are completely closed on the 25th of December.

The nearst decent size grocery shop is Continente Bom Dia - Alameda de Basílio Teles 152,
4150-138 Porto, Portugal - Here is the google maps link:

https://goo.gl/maps/YemeePxsuNFAjibD9

It closes at 7pm on the 24th and it's closed on the 25th.

Not a lot of restaurants are open on the 25th of December but some traditional seafood places
are, we call it “Marisqueiras”.
They are popular for seafood, “francesinha” and “rissóis”. I’ll check the closing time and I’ll
confirm you, but here they are:

1. Capa Negra II - Rua do Campo Alegre 191, 4150-177 Porto, Portugal

2. Madureira's Campo Alegre - Rua do Campo Alegre 365, 4150-178 Porto, Portugal