Christmas is celebrated in much the same way in Portugal
as it is in Spain. The Portugese enjoy an additional feast, called consoada,
in the early morning hours of Christmas Day. They set extra places at the
table for alminhas a penar ("the souls of the dead"). In
some areas crumbs are left on the hearth for these souls, a custom that
derives from the ancient practice of entrusting seeds to the dead in hopes
that they will provide a bountiful harvest.
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