How to say Happy New Year in Portuguese

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First of all I wish you had a Happy Christmas or Feliz Natal. My previous post described the Christmas traditions in Portugal, so now I thought it would also be good to teach you how to say Happy New Year in Portuguese. So in this post, I will do exactly that! Plus, I will speak about the New Year traditions in Portugal, so you get to know how we celebrate it over here!

The celebrations of New Year in Portugal

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In Portugal, people celebrate New Year on the 31st of December at night, with friends or family. In Porto, my city, there are a lot of different parties happening all over and at midnight people gather in the main square to watch the fireworks. There are also concerts all over town. In other cities, fireworks are also common and the celebrations can be seen a bit everywhere throughout the country.

Food

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As a typical dish, we eat shrimp as a starter. The main dish is normally a tasty dish of meat or fish and we can eat at home with our families or at the restaurant. Nowadays, it is more and more common to eat at a hotel and spend time with your friends on this evening.

If you want to know how to order food in Portuguese you can check out one of my other posts.

The Countdown

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Short before midnight, we start preparing for the countdown. This includes getting raisins – 12 to be exact – that we will eat at the sound of the twelve chimes. For each chime, we eat one raisin and we think of a wish. However, we cannot tell the wish to other people or (we think) it won’t come true.

Moreover, many of us believe that going on top of a chair before midnight and jumping on the floor with the right foot first after midnight will bring good luck and prosperity for the New Year. Do not jump with your left foot, though!

At midnight, we also drink champagne! It is the New Year after all, it is time to celebrate!

Important New Year Words and Expressions in Portuguese

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Now that you know some of the New Year Traditions in Portugal, it is time to learn some of the most important New Year Words and Expressions. If you come to Portugal to spend New Year or if you are with Portuguese people, don’t forget to surprise them with the following words and expressions about New Year in Portuguese:

Don’t forget to check out also other Useful Portuguese Phrases.

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And this is it! I hope you enjoyed this post and that you learnt how to say Happy New Year in Portuguese.

Please share your experience with me by leaving a comment below. Have you ever spent New Year in Portugal? Did you like it? Was it different from your country? How is it in your country? Do you spend it with family or friends?

Beijinhos,
Mia