With the beginning of the New Year also arrives the opportunity to get to know new places and cultures over the 365 days of 2015.
If Portugal is one of your options, get to know here the events, festive seasons and important dates that will mark the country this year:
Carnival, February 17th
In Portugal there is a great carnival tradition, the most famous are the carnivals of Madeira, Ovar, Loulé, Nazaré, Sines and Torres Vedras, one of the oldest in Portugal.
Traditions vary from location to location, but it is common the political and social satire in Carnival parades, where people also masked themselves with costumes. It’s typical in carnival the floats, samba schools and at the end the burning of Carnival.
Easter, April 5th
A season celebrated throughout the country with deep religious significance (Christian and Jewish). The traditions associated with this period are quite varied according to the country’s area where we are.
The privations and fasts are common throughout the country, especially during Fridays, people avoid eating meat out of respect for Jesus who was crucified on that day of the week.
There is yet another tradition that is very popular: offering a gift to godchildren. The godfather/the godmother usually offers a ‘Folar’ cake, a traditional Easter cake based on salt, eggs and flour, to their godchildren, who in turn offer an olive branch to his godfather or a bunch of violets to the godmother.
To the relatives and people who are dear to us there is also the habit of gifting them with almonds or ‘Folar’ cakes!
Popular Saints, June 13th, 24th and 29th
In June the temperature rises to 77°F, the Summer arrives and the streets of the most typical neighborhoods of Portugal fill with color! Popular saints festivities are arrived!
Throughout the Country, on the night of St. Anthony, St. John and St. Peter the people take the streets to eat, drink and have fun. It’s tradition to jump into the fire and offer to the girlfriend or boyfriend a basil (aromatic plant) with a message about love.
Festivals and Traditional Festivities
The festivities are very important events for the various villages and cities of Portugal. Traditionally these festivals are celebrated in honor of the patron saint of each region or, if it is a festival, are mostly in honor of the region’s specialties from regional fruit to convent sweets.
We highlight among many others the Chocolate Festival held in Obidos, in early March, the Cherry Festival in Fundão in June and the Feast of the trays in Tomar in July.
Concerts & Summer Festivals
With the Summer coming, Portugal a Country of sun, sea and beaches, fills with music and celebrations in the World famous summer festivals.
Usually they initiate in May and extend during the summer months until the beginning of September.
Some names have already been revealed as: Lenny Kravitz who will be attending the festival ‘Marés Vivas’, Calvin Harris, Clean Bandit and Jimmy P. at Meo Sudueste and Florence and the Machine in Super Bock, Super Rock Festival.
Also the NOS Alive organization has revealed some names like Muse, Dead Combo, Alt-J, Jessie Ware, Kodaline and The Jesus and Mary the Chair.
When it comes to concerts is known that Hardwell return to Portugal on March 7, to act on Meo Arena.
Harvest
Between the end of summer and the beginning of winter are performed grape harvests in the major wine regions of Portugal, although this is a typical activity of northern Portugal, especially in the Douro Wine Region area.
This work, a Portuguese tradition, is performed in a party mood and conviviality and is where the vines’ grapes are harvest giving rise to the wine of the year.
Magusto, October 29th, 1st and 11st November
The arrival of autumn is celebrated all over the country, a party which takes the name of ‘Magusto’.
Tradition dictates that friends and family, especially in the countryside, gather around a bonfire to eat chestnuts, drinking ‘jeropiga’, typical Portuguese liquor. It’s in this festive season which people prove the highly expected new wine from grapes crops at the time of the harvest.
Stay tuned to our blog, where we’ll share with you more about these events throughout the year.
We invite you as well to subscribe our newsletter where we’ll share every month the main news about tourism in Portugal.
