Portugal: Facts & Stats

CULTURE

Traditions:

Portuguese culture has been influenced by the three primary cultures from which it derives:

• the Latin,
• the Visigoth and
• the Muslim.

Portugal more than any other country mixed with its colonies, so much so that they were declared provinces and the people spoke the same language and held the same passport. Unlike other colonising countries the Portuguese were encouraged to mix with the populations of the countries they occupied by making multiethnic marriages legal.

A large part of today’s population consists of “retournados”, people from the colonies who moved to Portugal in the 1970s’. Lisbon in particular is one of the most multicultural cities in Europe.

Celebrations:

January 1 - New Year's Day.
Beginning of the year, marks the traditional end of "holiday season".

Tuesday, date varies - Carnival.(Also called Mardi Gras).
Not an official holiday, but declared by the government as a non-working day. Very ancient festival celebrating the end of the winter. It gained Christian connotations, and now marks the first day of a period of 40 days before Easter Week (Semana Santa, Holy Week), thus also known as Entrudo.

Friday, date varies - Good Friday.

Sunday, date varies - Easter.
Used for family gathering to eat Pão-de-Ló and "Folar" (an Easter cake) and Easter eggs. In the North, a sort of church members processions (compasso) visits and blesses every home with an open door, thus meaning they are Catholics. Traditionally, this is the second visit of children and non-married youngsters to their godparents, receiving an Easter gift. The first visit is on Palm Sunday, 7 days before, where children give flowers and palms to their godparents.

April 25 - Dia da Liberdade
Literally, "Freedom Day". Celebrates the Carnation Revolution, marking the end of the dictatorial regime. Event of 1974.

May 1 - Dia do Trabalhador - Labour Day.

Thursday, date varies - Corpus Christi. - Christian feast celebrating the Eucharist.

June 10 - Dia de Portugal, de Camões e das Comunidades Portuguesas Portugal Day.
Marks the date of Camões death. Camões wrote The Lusiads, Portugal's national epic. Event of 1580. Celebrated in many of Portuguese communities in the United States of America, such as the Ironbound in Newark, NJ

August 15 - Assunção Assumption of Mary.

October 5 - Implantação da República Implantation of the Republic, or Republic Day. Event of 1910.

November 1 - Todos os Santos All Saints Day. Day used for visiting deceased relatives.

December 1 - Restauração da Independência Restoration of Independence. Event of 1640.

December 8 - Imaculada Conceição Immaculate Conception. Patron Saint of Portugal since 1646.

December 25 - N atal Christmas Day.
Celebrated in the 24th to the 25th as a family gathering to eat codfish with potatoes and cabbage, roasted kid and turkey; seasonal sweets and dry fruits; drink Port wine; and share gifts.

Alcohol:

Portugal is a country of wine lovers and winemakers, known since the Roman Empire era; the Romans immediately associated Portugal with its God of Wine Bacchus. Today, many Portuguese wines are known as some of the world's best: Vinho do Douro, Vinho do Alentejo, Vinho do Dão, Vinho Verde, and the sweet: Port Wine (Vinho do Porto, literally Porto's wine), Madeira wine, Moscatel of Setúbal and Moscatel of Favaios.

Beer is also widely consumed, with the largest national beer brands being Sagres and Super Bock. Liqueurs, like Licor Beirão and ginjinha, are popular.

There is no legal drinking age in Portugal, purchase age however is 16 (will be changing to 18 soon)

Sports and Hobbies:

Football is the most popular and practised sport in Portugal. Other than football, many other professional or semi-professional well organized sport competitions take place every season in Portugal, including basketball, swimming, athletics, tennis, gymnastics, futsal, rink hockey, team handball, volleyball, and rugby union championships among the hundreds of sports played in this country.

The major Portuguese professional sports leagues, championships and events include:

• Portuguese Football Championship and Cup of Portugal in football
• Portuguese Futsal First Division in futsal
• Portuguese Basketball League in basketball
• Portuguese Rink Hockey Championship in rink hockey
• Portuguese Handball League in handball
• Campeonato Nacional Honra/Super Bock in rugby
• Portuguese Volleyball League A1 in volleyball
• Portuguese Beach Soccer League in beach soccer
• Volta a Portugal in cycling
• Rally of Portugal in motor racing

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