{"id":1742,"date":"2023-12-15T10:00:50","date_gmt":"2023-12-15T10:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hotelportuense.com\/?p=1742"},"modified":"2023-12-18T14:45:03","modified_gmt":"2023-12-18T14:45:03","slug":"christmas-in-lisbon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hotelportuense.com\/en\/2023\/12\/15\/christmas-in-lisbon\/","title":{"rendered":"Christmas in Lisbon: Christmas traditions and festive fun"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the most important celebrations of the year, Christmas is a time for family and close friends to get together on the evening of December 24 for Christmas Eve.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Discover the Christmas traditions and festive fun in Lisbon for all the family this Christmas 2023 and throughout the month of December.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Christmas Eve Dinner<\/h4>\n

The evening of December 24 brings to the Portuguese table “bacalhau com todos”: cod cooked with potatoes, carrots, vegetables and eggs, drizzled with olive oil.<\/p>\n

The traditional sweets are varied and range from rabanadas, sonhos, filh\u00f3s and coscor\u00f5es, azevias, tronco de Natal, to aletria, arroz-doce, broa castelar and lampreia de ovos, but the real highlight on portuguese tables is the Bolo-Rei, a crown-shaped bread with colorful candied fruit and a distinctive flavor. There’s also the Bolo Rainha, which contains almonds and has been sweetening Portuguese palates more and more.<\/p>\n

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Midnight Mass<\/h4>\n

After Christmas Eve dinner, it is portuguese tradition to attend the Midnight Mass of the Rooster, marking the birth of Jesus Christ. Upon returning home, presents are exchanged by the tree and the nativity scene with the image of baby Jesus.<\/p>\n

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Christmas lunch<\/h4>\n

On December 25, Portuguese families will once again gather for Christmas lunch, with roast and stuffed turkey and traditional sweets on the table.<\/p>\n

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Christmas decorations<\/h4>\n

Every year, the Christmas lights in Lisbon are inaugurated in the first days of December, and in 2023, Lisbon has been shining even brighter with its Christmas lights since December 1st. The Armaz\u00e9ns do Chiado are a must-see because of the lights on the shopping center’s instagrammable fa\u00e7ade.<\/p>\n

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Christmas tree<\/h5>\n

All over the city, you can see Christmas trees and Christmas ornaments, but it’s in Pra\u00e7a do Com\u00e9rcio that tradition gathers and delights thousands of residents and foreigners with the traditional giant Christmas tree. Visit for free until January 6, 2024.<\/p>\n

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Christmas crib<\/h5>\n

In houses, churches, museums, on the streets and in shopping malls, Christmas cribs are represented all over Lisbon:<\/p>\n