Natal

Christmas in Portugal

A2 Reading 4 min culture, celebrations Grammar focus: connectors

Follow a chilly morning near Christmas in Portugal, from bundling up against the cold to an evening of Indian food with friends. This A2 reading builds vocabulary for winter clothing, gift shopping, and the connectors that hold a story together.

What you’ll learn

Texto

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Vocabulário

Key words from this text. Hide a column to test yourself.

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o feriado
the public holiday
passear
to go for a walk
ficar constipado
to catch a cold (not "constipated")
friorento, friorenta
someone who feels the cold easily
calorento, calorenta
someone who feels the heat easily
o gorro
the beanie, the wool hat
o cachecol
the scarf
exigente
demanding, fussy
a lembrança
the small gift, the keepsake
empolgado, empolgada
excited

Perguntas

Answer out loud in Portuguese, then check.

English
1. Porque é que ele não trabalha hoje?
Why isn't he working today?
Ele não trabalha hoje porque é feriado.
He isn't working today because it is a public holiday.
2. Qual é a estação do ano do texto?
Which season of the year is the text set in?
É inverno, porque está frio e é perto do Natal.
It is winter, because it is cold and close to Christmas.
3. Ele gosta do frio?
Does he like the cold?
Não, ele não gosta muito do frio. Ele é friorento e precisa de vestir muita roupa.
No, he doesn't much like the cold. He feels the cold easily and needs to wear plenty of clothes.
4. O que é que eles vão fazer na rua, hoje?
What are they going to do out and about today?
Vão passear e passar por algumas lojas para comprar presentes de Natal.
They are going for a walk and stopping at some shops to buy Christmas presents.
5. Como está o tempo?
What is the weather like?
Está frio, mas não está a chover.
It is cold, but it isn't raining.
6. A que horas eles planeiam sair de casa?
What time are they planning to leave the house?
Eles planeiam sair de casa por volta das três da tarde.
They are planning to leave the house at around three in the afternoon.
7. Quais são os planos deles para o final do dia?
What are their plans for the end of the day?
À noite, vão jantar num restaurante perto de casa que tem boa comida indiana.
In the evening, they are going for dinner at a restaurant near home that has good Indian food.

Nota cultural

In Portugal, Christmas Eve, a consoada, matters more than Christmas Day itself. Families gather for a late dinner built around bacalhau, dried salted cod, and many then go to Missa do Galo, the midnight mass, before opening presents after midnight or on Christmas morning. Streets fill with lights from late November, and small towns compete for the best decorations. Gifts tend to be modest and personal rather than extravagant, which is exactly the spirit Nuno describes when he says friends and family only expect uma lembrança, a small keepsake, not a big present.

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