Christmas traditions

In our region, Christmas Eve was, like in other villages and towns in our country, a very special and even magical moment that lives on in our collective memory. 

It was at this time of year, in a context typical of its rurality, that all the families gathered around the Christmas Eve table and shared everything it meant.

We know that there was no single culinary standard; there was some variety in the presentation of the Christmas Eve table, always taking into account the social stratification of each family. We also know that, regardless of each family's social status, it was on this night that everyone asserted their own identity and showed the variety of food that characterised us.

As we're from Alentejo, and based on the research we've carried out among the older inhabitants of our village, and others who are younger but know the old ways, we believe we're not far from the truth if we say that the menu for Christmas Eve wouldn't stray too far from the following feasts:

- O cock was a regular at the Christmas Eve table. It was boiled beforehand to make the soup that would start the meal. The rooster was then roasted in the oven and served with rice made from the rooster's giblets;

- O boiled cod was another common alternative. It was served with cabbages, eggs and boiled potatoes, all drizzled with the new olive oil that each family produced at this time (all families took great pride in their own olives, which they harvested and processed at the mill in our village. Olive oil was one of the most valued products in our family economy);

- There were other options, such as roast duck, roast lamb or roast chicken, but they were just alternatives to the oven-roasted rooster.

Christmas Eve didn't end here! (At this time of year, evening meant late afternoon, as it got dark very early). There would be a lot of hustle and bustle and things to do throughout the night. Let's not forget the frying of children and the hollyThis was usually the responsibility of the women of the family, but first they had to prepare and cook the pasta. It was up to the men of the family to light the fire and keep it going throughout the night. Throughout the night, the stomach would be comforted with roasted cacholeira and barley coffee.

As we can see, Christmas Eve was a long night full of many moments and tasks. However, in the midst of so much activity, there was still room for a trip to the church to attend the Midnight Mass or the bonfire, where huge logs were burning in the churchyard, where wine or some brandy was drunk in a carefree manner. 

It was late at night when the children, already sleepy, would put their shoes or boots in the fireplace, waiting for the baby Jesus to put his Christmas present there.

And it is on the basis of this centuries-old tradition that Despensa Franciscana has taken on the role of transmitting this culture, promoting the best of what we produce, the excellence of what is ours, and indisputably asserting itself as the heir to the true tradition of our Alentejo.