The Christmas season in the Azores is lived with various traditions that are worth knowing about. From an exceptional cake to different Nativity scenes and even visits to friends’ houses with an unusual password, it’s important to get to know the local culture a little more.
The Azores archipelago has unique Christmas traditions. One of the most peculiar and revealing of the local informality is ‘o Menino Mija’. From December 24 until Three Kings Day, men and women form groups to visit the homes of friends and family, where traditional sweets and liqueurs await them. However, before entering the houses, they have to ask a question that will open the doors: ‘Does the Boy pee?’. That boy is, obviously, baby Jesus. This relaxed way of socializing is one of the traditions of these parts of the world that has endured over the years.
On Azorean tables, it is common to find the Azorean Christmas Cake, a local specialty made from sugar cane honey, port wine, brandy, spices, and dried and candied fruit. This cake has the particularity of having to be prepared about two weeks in advance, giving the ingredients time to blend in harmony and get the right consistency and flavor.
Visiting nativity scenes is something that Azoreans also take very seriously during the Christmas season. There are several scattered around the various islands of the archipelago. And each of them is unique in the way they are represented.
Locals say that among the vast range on offer, the ones that stand out are Furnas, Casa do Arcano, Manaias, and Prior Evaristo Gouveia, on the island of Sao Miguel.
Then there’s the construction of the ‘lapinha’ nativity scene, an art whose origins can be traced back to the 16th century. The story goes that they were introduced to the island of Sao Miguel by the Franciscan Order, where these convents’ nuns decorated the nativity scenes with small elements from everyday life, which could include small shells, artificial flowers, feathers, fish scales, dried moss, paper, cotton wool, and small clay figures to represent the Holy Family. ‘Lapinha’ nativity scenes are a delicate piece, which is why they are kept inside a dome or even in small glass boxes so that they can be easily displayed, and their filling can be easily appreciated by anyone.
Another Azorean tradition is the Dia das Montras, which usually takes place on December 8, the date on which the Immaculate Conception is celebrated in Portugal. This milestone in the calendar opens the door to window display competitions organized by the Azorean municipalities to promote traditional commerce. Shopkeepers are thus endeavoring to decorate local establishments with attractive materials, products, and images alluding to this special time of year.
As the streets are already lit up and duly decorated with the typical Christmas ornaments, customers are naturally attracted by the feeling of the season to shop for the gifts that will be exchanged with the family on Christmas Eve.
In addition to the traditional Mass of the Rooster, Azoreans also don’t do without Christmas choirs. And among the most famous and traditional, without which it wouldn’t be Christmas, we have the Christmas concert of the Choir of Sao Jose, in the church named after the saint, in Ponta Delgada. There are around 70 members who perform a diverse repertoire of classical compositions and a touch of modernity. Ideal for all ages and for bringing families together to create Atlantic memories that will last for years to come.
