Christmas Eve celebrations in Portugal

Expats and visitors to Portugal may be surprised to learn that the peak of Christmas celebrations in Portugal happens on Christmas Eve, often in the late evening of December 24 and in the early hours of Christmas morning.

Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve is the traditional Portuguese dinner on Christmas Eve.

Almost every house will feature Portugal's national dish, bacalhãu (dried and salted cod), as part of Christmas Eve. Bacalhãu de Consoada is a relatively simple recipe for cod with cabbage, potatoes, boiled eggs and a healthy amount of olive oil.

In the North of Portugal and the Algarve, you will see octopus served as a traditional Christmas meal.

Roast turkey has made more appearances on the Christmas table in recent years, but it's not as traditional. In the north of Portugal, lamb or goat have traditionally had their place. In southern Portugal, you're likely to see pork.

Take a look:

👉 Top 10 Most Famous Recipes (ourhomeportugal.com)  

👉 The History of Codfish (ourhomeportugal.com)