The return of the Sephardim
Since 2013, Parliament has passed a law that will radically change the lives of thousands of descendants of Sephardic Jews. In exchange for proof, a descendant of a Jew expelled from Portugal by the edict of King Manuel I in 1496 will now be able to obtain Portuguese nationality. This return seems to be well accepted, as the Portuguese consider it a historical reparation, five centuries after the king's edict. Moreover, Portugal is taking this topical issue to heart and is preparing to set up a specific form of tourism based on religious culture and the old Jewish quarters, the judiarias. Today, the Jews of Portugal are organized in 4 communities: Lisbon, Porto, Belmonte and Portimão in the Algarve. Nearly 1,800 descendants of Sephardim have already acquired Portuguese nationality in 2017 and another 12,000 are in the process of applying. There is no doubt that this law will have a significant impact on the community.
Christmas traditions in the Algarve
In addition to the traditional buying of gifts recalled in commercials, Christmas in the Algarve is marked by a specific cuisine. In the countryside, mid-December is the time when the pig is killed, the time for each family to make their own version of the chouriço that will be hung in the fireplace to give it a smoky flavour. Pork is the main dish of this family feast, served with cabbage and fried with garlic. The consoada, a Christmas meal, will consist of cabidela de galinha or ensopado de galo (rooster) or bacalhau
. If we go back to the coast, the pork will be cooked with crustaceans, a mixture that Algarvians are fond of. Figs picked and dried in September will reappear for the occasion, flattened in the shape of stars, garnished with sugar, cinnamon and stuffed with almonds.Let's move on to dessert: rabanadas, filhosos, azevias, without forgetting the ubiquitous bolo-rei wreath filled with candied fruit that will be eaten throughout the Christmas period until New Year's Eve. Legend has it that when the Magi arrived to enter the stable where Jesus was born, they could not decide which of them would pass through the door first. They made a cake and put a fava
(bean) in it.The log (cepo
) burned in the fireplace throughout the celebrations and the ashes were kept to protect the house from lightning. Another tradition is to place oranges on the table to attract good fortune.The purchase of a fir tree is a recent phenomenon in the Algarve, but the display of cribs (presepios
) in houses and churches is widespread. Made from the shoots of cereals planted at the beginning of December, gigantic nativity scenes made of cork emerge in public spaces. The traditional mass is known as the Missa do Galo (mass of the cockerel), the animal having crowed on the morning of 25 December to announce the Nativity. The tradition of the charolas (choirs) has evolved into simple traditional songs called reisadas that can be heard until January 6, the Day of the Kings.Romarias, Maios...
The celebrations punctuate the life of the Portuguese who like to go out and they are celebrated in processions, the romarias
. These festivals with religious accents initially marked the summer solstice, a time when abundance was celebrated. From May to the end of June, everywhere the neighbourhoods organise joyful gatherings where one can taste sardines and grilled meats sprinkled with wine and jump over rosemary fires.Easter is intensively celebrated throughout the country. A nice tradition is to offer your godchild a folar
, a kind of sweet cinnamon brioche. Nowadays, the brioche is often replaced by a gift or money, but the name lives on. The1st of May is a very special day, the occasion also to make the maios, large cloth dolls, personification of the revival. This tradition, which is making a strong comeback in the Algarve, began as a tribute to the Mayan goddess of fertility. In the past, young girls dressed in white, adorned with crowns of flowers, sat at the doors of houses or on roof terraces and sang and danced. They were not allowed to smile or blink. In popular jargon, it is still often said of a static person that he or she looks like a maio. Nowadays, the maio is personified by a doll made of rye straw and rags on which verses or satirical poems are placed.Top 4 festivals to immerse yourself in the local culture
The most singular. In São Bras de Aportel: the Festa das Tochas Floridas (Festival of the flowering torches) where men form a procession celebrating the Resurrection, carrying torches made of wild flowers.
The most colorful. Mardi Gras in Loulé: one of the most important carnival parades, famous throughout the country
The most pious. Easter in Loulé: the Festa de Mãe Soberana, considered the biggest religious event south of Fatima. A gigantic procession goes through the streets and up the steep hill to the sanctuary carrying the statue of Nossa Senhora da Piedade.
The most regressive: the Banho Santo of August 29 on the beach of Manta Rota, near Vila Real de Santo Antonio. According to tradition, this was the day when the mountain people came down with their pack animals to take a bath in the sea, considered "holy" and capable of curing all ills.
The mysterious world of Bruxaria
Finally, for centuries, despite the opposition of the Church and science, the practice of bruxaria is still a widespread phenomenon. This type of witchcraft, which has been rooted for centuries, is still an integral part of collective beliefs, especially among the working classes, and is one of the last traditional ways of healing. Whether it is for physical, spiritual or any other distressing situation, the waiting rooms at the bruxos are always full. Whether it is a miracle solution or a magical one, the practice responds to an antagonistic demand of the Portuguese society, between rationality and beliefs.
