Christmas Day Description
Christmas Day celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ and is the cornerstone of Portuguese family traditions. The main celebration actually occurs on Christmas Eve ("Consoada") with a late-night family feast of boiled codfish with potatoes and greens, followed by the exchange of gifts at midnight. Christmas Day itself features a lunch of roast turkey or kid goat and traditional sweets like "rabanadas," "filhós," "sonhos," and "bolo rei." All public offices, banks, and most commerce close. Nativity scenes ("presépios") are displayed in churches and homes across the country.
