Happy New Year!
Already in October Lisbon is busy decorating the streets and trees. Thousands of colourful Christmas lights decorate the city. Christmas light restrictions across Portugal 2022
November 2022: Praça Luis de Camões
This year conventional lights were replaced by LED bulbs to reduce energy consumption.
Christmas lights will be on between December 6th 2022 and January 6th 2023, with a reduction in the daily operating hours. More info: The Portugal News
Lisbon, historical area Mouraria, in December
Church near Praça Martim Moniz
A Lisbon shop in December & Xmas lingerie
Children’s choirs sing Christmas carols (Janeiras) in the streets of Lisbon.
The Janeiras are a great tradition.
Rossio Square, Lisbon in November, children’s choir
Groups, mostly young people, walk through the streets from house to house. With their songs, they wish all residents a good and healthy New Year.
Lisbon, Christmas tree 2017
At the night of December 31, thousands of people gather near the waterfront of the Tagus River at Praça do Comércio, to welcome the new year.
Tradition:
students (try to 😉 ) sing a Christmas Carol in the streets and ask for money..
A woman, also dressed in black, is asking for money too…..
…..and there’s a lot of poor people begging on the streets of Lisbon, not only at Christmas time….
Praca Dom Pedro IV (Rossio), Christmas decoration and beautiful ‘wave’ pavement
On Christmas Eve , December 24, mosts restaurants are closed from lunchtime.
Families gather around the Christmas tree. Many attend the Midnight Mass (Missa do Galo). After mass they gather around the table and have supper.
Praça do Comércio, Lisbon December 31, 2017
December 31, in the best of Portuguese traditions, a shower of light and colour will flood Lisbon’s most famous square, Praça do Comércio, with a fireworks display to the sound of the twelve gongs.
Fireworks YouTube 2018
Praça do Comércio, Lisbon. December 2019.
Picture: Josephine Lucassen, professional tourist guide
New Years Eve: From 22:00 there’s a big stage at this square,there’re live concerts with famous Portuguese names and plenty of entertainment. According to the Portuguese tradition, twelve wishes are made to the sound of the twelve bell tolls, toasting with champaign to the new year.
Also in Parque das Nações there is a fireworks show near the river.
Traditional Portuguese New Years cake ( Bolo Rei). Picture: Britta Frahm
Feliz Natal! Traditional is the Bolo Rei (Kings’ cake). This fruitcake is a typically New Years cake, but is becoming popular during Christmas Holidays. In the cake there are two surprises: one is a little present, the other one is not welcomed: a raw broad bean. Whoever gets this bean has to buy (or prepare) the Bolo Rei in the coming year.
Feliz Natal: Merry Christmas!
Portuguese ‘Farturas‘ can be filled with flavoured jelly ( strawberry, chocolate). Very popular and delicious 🙂
Farturas (picture: Wikipedia).
HAPPY NEW YEAR! FELIZ ANO NOVO!
Lisbon at Christmas time, 2009
