Santa Claus meets the Portuguese Rooster Notebook Click to buy from Zazzle Food is a matter of great importance in Portugal. It is a common belief that when Portuguese families or friends gather, they spend hours at the table, engaging in conversation, laughter, and savoring a variety of dishes, including appetizers, main courses, desserts, coffee, digestives, and a range of beverages such as red wine, champagne, Port Wine, Ginginha, and more. For Christmas Eve, many Portuguese people have a light dinner called Consoada. Portugal is a predominantly Catholic country, and as such, it's customary for many to abstain from eating meat during this time, often opting for fish, particularly codfish, or seafood dishes. In some regions, octopus is preferred over cod, prepared either by roasting with potatoes or as part of a rice dish. Christmas occasionally falls on a Friday, which is traditionally a day of abstinence within the Catholic Church. However, the practice goes beyond religious o...