Traditional New Year Celebrations in Portugal. What is your tradition? There is a tradition of eating twelve raisins by everyone. Each raisin is considered represent a month of the coming year, and while eating each raisin, one has to make a wish for that month. The arrival of the moment of New Year is celebrated by putting down a toast of champagne down the throat. There is another tradition of baking King Cake or Bolo-Rei, which is eaten in between the Christmas Day of December 25th and Kings Day or Dia de Reis of January 6th. Also, one more dish with the name of Caldo Verde e Broa or green broth and corn bread are eaten as a part of traditional New Year celebrations. There are few other traditions such as keeping some money in the pocket which symbolizes for a wealthy year ahead, wearing blue slippers or panties or boxers which symbolizes for good luck and harmony in the coming year, putting the right foot first while getting down from a chair which symbolizes for optimism in the coming year, and hitting pots and pans loudly which symbolizes for swaying away all evil spirits and negative energies of the past. On the morning of the New Years Day, small children gather at one place, and make a visit to all the houses of the neighborhood while singing special New Year songs, or old songs of Janeiros. This is considered to bestow everyone with good luck. As a mark of their love for children, people in turn gift them sweets and coins. Kissing ones partner on the midnight of New Year is another Portuguese tradition, very elegantly followed by everyone, and is done with a belief that their love and relationship will grow to a more stable state in the coming year.
Posted on: Fri, 02 Jan 2015 18:30:36 +0000
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