Photos by Tânia Pestana

On the 23rd of December, in Funchal, it is typical to go to the market place (Mercado dos Lavradores) to buy the last things for Christmas, like fruits, vegetables and fish. But this tradition has been growing through the years and nowadays beyond the night shopping, there are groups singing in the market stairs and thousands of people go there to amuse themselves, drink and eat sandwiches of ‘Carne, vinho e alhos’ (small cubes of meat with wine and garlic), a traditional dish of Madeira Christmas. Just to imagine, this year there was a bar that has sold 12 thousand sandwiches during all night.

Photos by Tânia Pestana

December is all dedicated to Christmas preparations, like the Christmas tree, decorations with typical flowers, like Madeira Stonecrop and Holy plant, and fruits of the season, like oranges, apples and custard apples.

The popular imagination gives place to the most varied pictures of the cradle of Christ, in Portuguese called “lapinha” or “presépio”, with shepherds, little houses and figures that represent scenes of Madeira life.

Photo by Tânia Pestana

In Madeira, Christian Christmas celebrations start early. Since the 15th of December the childbirth masses or “missas do parto” are celebrated every day until the 23rd of December before sunrise.

Like most of the parishes, Nossa Senhora da Conceição in Lombada dos Esmeraldos, Ponta do Sol, still revive this ancient tradition. Not even the cold or rain of these winter mornings dissuades the devoted that always join this “novenas”.

On the way to the church, people drink hot coffee and sugar cane rum with honey, to avoid cold and sleepiness, invading the streets with Christmas carols and musical instruments like drums, “castanholas” or accordions that wake up the ones who are still asleep. After mass, people join together breathing Christmas spirit, on the square between the chapel and Esmeraldo’s mannor house, singing, dancing and eating honey cake and cookies, just before going to work.

Photos by Tânia Pestana