CULTURE OF PORTUGAL: TRADITIONS, CUSTOMS, GASTRONOMY, RELIGION - CULTURE VOCABULARY

The culture of Portugal is one of the most striking in Europe. It has been strongly influenced by the Catholic tradition and this link to religion has largely shaped its celebrations, social values and customs.

Portugal has a fairly homogeneous society and does not have a great multiplicity of ethnicities within its territory. Their language is Portuguese, a language of Latin origin, which was declared official by King Dinis or Dionisio I of Portugal. Other types of dialects within Portugal are not frequent, however, there may be communities that speak other languages, especially those that are near the borders with Spain.

Flag of Portugal

Image by b1-foto from Pixabay

As for celebrations, within the country holidays are moments dedicated to joy and sharing. Many of the celebrations are linked to religious reasons and within them typical elements of the country such as food or music are exhibited.

For its part, gastronomy in Portugal is one of the most relevant aspects. The Portuguese pay special attention to cooking and meal times. They enjoy holding banquets and have admiration for traditional dishes. Many times they combine flavors of sea and land and among some of the outstanding ingredients of their culinary culture, is cod.

In addition, Portugal is a place that tends to relive the past and honor the characters of history. The saints are highly celebrated and the time of exploration and discovery is remembered within their customs.

Traditions

Madeira wine festival

It is a celebration that takes place for approximately two weeks between the months of August and September. It is a party in which multiple activities are carried out, all in relation to a common theme, wine. It usually takes place in the city of Funchal and the municipality of the Strait of Cámara de Lobos.

Harvests are one of the most relevant practices within the holidays. There is also a recreation of the traditional methods of Madeira in terms of winemaking. People can participate in the harvest and treading of grapes.

Among other events, various artistic exhibitions related to the subject are held and musical presentations are also organized with various genres and groups that can range from choral singing, to jazz and traditional music.

The origin of this celebration dates back to the 70s and has become popular over time. It is a way to celebrate the harvests and the production of wine, one of the most representative products of Madeira, and which also makes this place popular around the world.

Colombo Festival

It is a festival dedicated to the travels of Christopher Columbus and his steps through the Madeira region, a site with which he was in contact for several years of his life and where he married Filipa Moniz Perestrelo in 1479. Porto Santo is specifically the island in which the different dynamics of these holidays are carried out during the month of September.

Among the activities are the theatrical performances and performances dedicated to Columbus' travels around the island. The most popular of these samples is the one that recreates the arrival of Christopher Columbus at the port.

The streets are decorated with medieval motifs and exhibitions, sale of handicrafts, musical shows, dance, traditional gastronomic offers and more take place.

Carnivals

As in many regions of the world with a historical past marked by Christianity, carnivals are one of the most emblematic celebrations and in Portugal they are highly anticipated. As usual, the festivity takes place days and even weeks before Lent, culminating with the entry of Ash Wednesday.

It is celebrated throughout the country, with days full of music, dance, food, floats, parades and many colors. Among the most outstanding elements for the Portuguese, are the carnival costumes, which are carefully prepared to be exhibited during these days. There are even contests to reward the most elaborate.

The carnival tradition is born from a custom that was born on the occasion of Lent, a period that implies for believers a season of fasting in which meats, sweets and fatty foods are suppressed, in addition to following certain rules of behavior. Given this, people saw the need to consume all these types of foods before the arrival of Lent.

This is how the carnivals began and later became parties of overflow and celebration, as a type of preparation for the following days of fasting. Most of the time they take place between the months of February and March.

Medieval market

It is a fair that is organized for two weeks in the village of Óbidos, especially in the spaces of the castle that is there and the western walls of the city. It occurs during the final days of July and the first days of August.

The event proposes a trip to medieval times whereby many actors and other artists dress according to those times and simulate different characters characteristic of the moment, interacting with people who are in the streets. In addition, game tournaments and banquets are organized in medieval style.

For their part, many merchants sell typical gastronomy and even items inspired by the Middle Ages, such as costumes and more.

Feast of Saint Anthony

The month of June becomes one of the most representative for the city of Lisbon in the celebration of Saint Anthony. During these dates a return to traditions is made. The streets are decorated with many colored ornaments and multiple shops and improvised stalls begin to offer the public a great variety of products, including the typical sardine, which becomes the most precious food during those days.

On the other hand, although the celebration of San Antonio officially begins on June 13, the date of his death, Lisbon gets a party from the 12th, with one of the most emblematic events, multiple weddings. During this day, a little more than a dozen couples celebrate their marriage. These weddings are held for low-income families and become a highly popular event, even with television viewing.

On the other hand, dances, musical events and yincanas are also organized. The popular drink of these dates is beer. In general, the celebration within Lisbon in commemoration of Saint Anthony, patron of the city, runs until June 24, Saint John's Day.

Lisbon is the venue for this celebration since Saint Anthony is originally from this city and was recognized for his great devotion. He died in Padua in 1231.

Custom

Use the Rooster of Barcelos as a Portuguese symbol

Despite not being an official national icon, the Barcelos rooster is a representative element of this country. It is usually embroidered, carved and painted on surfaces. It is practically the quintessential souvenir for visitors looking to take home a souvenir from Portugal.

The origin of this legend is varied since there are a large number of versions in this regard, however, one of the best known tells of the story of a pilgrim who was saved from death thanks to the song of this animal.

Upon arrival in Barcelos, the man was wrongly accused and sentenced to hang. When he was in front of the judge, he tried to prove his innocence without success. Before this he declared that the rooster, which was served between the meal of the banquet, would sing at the time of his execution, thus proving his innocence.

In this way, just before being sentenced to death, the rooster got up on the table and crowed, thus avoiding the death of the pilgrim. From this story, the image of this animal would become tradition.

Love for traditional food

Portuguese society pays special attention to its traditional meals and sharing them. It is customary to enjoy food, especially if they are family gatherings or among friends. The Portuguese can spend a lot of time on this, as it is something they try to experience as best they can.

Eat sweet in the morning

It is a general habit to eat some sweet that could be classified as dessert, during the morning, either as breakfast or in the middle of the morning.

Arguments can seem like fights

The Portuguese can tend to debate euphoric or passionate, so it could be mistaken for a fight. It is very common for foreigners to think that a couple of citizens of Portugal are fighting when they are actually discussing or debating a topic.

Importance for the family

One of the most relevant social environments for the Portuguese is the family. Loyalty and togetherness prevail as do family traditions. It is common for Sundays to be dedicated to close people.

Gastronomy

Bacalao Dorado

It is a dish of Portuguese origin that is quite recognized and simple. It consists of a preparation of desalted cod with eggs and potatoes cut into fine pieces. Additives such as black olives and parsley are also added. It is called "golden" because of the color that the fish acquires when it is combined with the egg.

Green soup

It is a traditional soup made with chard, potatoes, olive oil, black pepper and salt. Garlic and onion can also be added. Among some additional variants, some type of meat or leg ham is added.

It is a dish that usually accompanies family celebrations or festivities. It is originally from the province of Minho. It is very common to see the green broth on any menu. Sometimes it is served as a starter, before the main course.

Little Frenchie

It is a typical dish of the city of Porto and it is a style of sandwich stuffed with sausages, ham and beef steak. In addition, it contains melted cheese on the surface, which is gratin. This sandwich is accompanied by a slightly spicy tomato and beer-based sauce. It can be served with fried egg and potatoes as sides.

Pork a la alentejana

It is a native dish from Alentejo, in Portugal. It is a recipe that combines pork, an animal that is raised in this area, and seafood, specifically the clam.

The meat is cut into pieces and marinated before frying with paprika, bay leaf, garlic, coriander, parsley, vinegar, white wine and also seasoned with oregano, salt and pepper. The coriander is also added later in abundant quantity, along with the clams.

The cataplana

It is a dish native to the southern part of Portugal, in the Algarve. This recipe combines various seafood ingredients such as ray, monkfish, salmon, shrimp, and clams. It is prepared in a traditional way in a container of the same name, "cataplana", which was originally made with copper but is currently made from aluminum or stainless steel.

The recipe can include among other meats, ham and chorizo. Condiments and dressings include garlic, onions, bay leaf, green peppers, and salt. Also white wine and brandy are additives par excellence.

Music

The most well-known Portuguese musical genre worldwide is Fado, which dates from the 19th century, specifically the 1820s and is originally from the Lisbon region.

It is characterized by melancholic tone. It addresses issues such as the harshness of daily life, complex situations and is related to elements such as the sea. It tends to balance between resignation and hope.

Twelve-string Portuguese guitar headstock

Feliciano Guimarães from Guimarães, Portugal / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)

Some of the instruments most used in fado are the twelve-string guitars, the viola, and the 8-string basses. There are those who associate the roots of fado with African rhythms, the traditional music of the Portuguese sailors and some nuances of the Arabs.

In addition, in Portugal there are also other typical musical instruments such as the bass drum, the 12-string guitar, various types of viola, the cavaquinho and the bagpipe of foles.

Religion

Portugal is a country in which there is freedom of worship, however, it has a long Catholic tradition and it is estimated that every eight out of ten Portuguese identify with Catholicism, in addition to the fact that a large part of the population usually attends Masses of regularly.

Catholicism has been very influential within this society and its culture. Most of the traditions that are celebrated and followed in Portugal are closely linked to religion. There are also minority groups from other branches of Christianity such as Jehovah's Witnesses. On the other hand, there is also a presence of Jews and Muslims to a lesser extent.

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CULTURE OF PORTUGAL: TRADITIONS, CUSTOMS, GASTRONOMY, RELIGION - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2024