Family Snippets

We have to use a stool or a ladder to reach to the top of our Christmas tree to place a star , without it would not be a proper tree for the season... the star stays there above everything else, reminding us of the real meaning of Christmas! "Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him." [Mathew 2:2]. These wise men were righteous and were seeking to witness the presence of Christ on earth. Their spiritual capacity is evident, for they were able to see the star that others could not; they knew it's meaning and were certain and confident they would be guided to the Savior, so certain that they brought meaningful presents to honor Him! Enjoy the Christmas season. Links:  The Wise Men Seek Jesus

Theatrical representation: "O Boi e o Burro" The four traditions listed below have been with us for as long as we remember, how old are they? and why do we still keep them?  1. The Nativity The representation of the birth of Christ in Bethlehem, the humble yet sublime scene of Joseph and Mary with baby Jesus in the stable with the animals, the shepherds and the star was always a central ornament at the home of our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. Just after our wedding, we bought our own set of the nativity, that we still use until today. No other tradition has brought Christ to our Christmas more than this one! 2. Christmas Eve Reading the account of the nativity in the scriptures and theatrical representations of the nativity is a key part of Christmas Eve. Fish is the traditional meal of Christmas Eve. As far as I can tell this is a tradition that comes from the XVI century. The exact reasons for this tradition are unknown, in my p

Na nossa infância tivemos um Natal Português tradicional com grande influência dos costumes e tradições do norte de Portugal, os nossos avós são oriundos de Trás-os-Montes e do Porto. O  Presépio  é a atividade principal de Natal, lembramos da história da natividade com a preparação para construir o presépio. É uma actividade emocionante; procurar o musgo, construir os estábulo, colocar as figuras e cenário da cidade de Belém... or a nossa propria cidade, a mãe lembra que na sua infância a construção do presépio era um projecto de vários dias. Na cidade de  Coimbra  meus pais visitavam vários presépios da cidade em exposição em área publicas da cidade.  No dia 24 Dezembro, véspera de Natal, à noite, têm lugar a consoada , nesta serve-se  bacalhau cozido  (ou para os menos tradicionalistas hoje em dia o  bacalhau com natas ) e a doçaria conventual, rabanadas, sonhos, arroz doce, bolo rei, etc. Nessa noite lemos as escrituras, contamos historias e ou fazemos representações da nativ