Portuguese Christmas Eve table (consoada): how to set it, step by step

By Luís Serra, co-founder of Ra-Ro · View profile

About a 6 minute read

Consoada is the supper on the night of 24 December, the most important meal of a Portuguese Christmas. Across most of the country the dish is boiled salt cod with cabbage, potatoes and egg; in parts of the north, such as Trás-os-Montes and the Minho, octopus is served too. Setting the consoada table takes little: a linen or cotton tablecloth, simple plates, clay dishes for serving, a natural centrepiece of pine cones and oranges, candles and a good seat for the oldest at the table.

The Portuguese Christmas Eve table in short

• When: the night of 24 December is the consoada; lunch on the 25th is a separate meal.
• What is eaten: boiled salt cod with cabbage, potatoes and egg; octopus in parts of the north.
• Sweets: rabanadas, filhós, sonhos, bolo-rei and arroz doce, among many others that change from region to region.
• The table: natural fabrics, clay and copper for serving, and a centrepiece made from what the countryside and the fruit bowl offer.
• At Ra-Ro: the Bailha Napkins, the Black Clay Table Pack and the Copper Plate.

What consoada is and what people eat

Consoada is the name of the Portuguese Christmas Eve supper, served on the night of 24 December. It gathers the whole family around the table and, for many, ends with Midnight Mass, the Missa do Galo.

The main dish is almost always boiled bacalhau (salt cod), served with cabbage, potatoes and boiled egg, dressed with olive oil and garlic. In the Beira region it is called bacalhau com todos, and some add chickpeas. In Trás-os-Montes and the Alto Douro, boiled octopus shares the table with the cod, and many homes in the Minho serve octopus as well. The Azores and Madeira have their own customs. Leftovers become roupa velha the next day.

Every region has its own sweets. The most common are rabanadas (a kind of French toast), filhós (fried dough), sonhos (fritters), bolo-rei (the king cake), arroz doce (rice pudding) and aletria (vermicelli pudding). The Alentejo has azevias, and the north has mexidos and sweet migas.

How to set the consoada table, step by step

1. Tablecloth: linen or cotton, white, natural or a warm tone. Natural fabrics cope with olive oil stains and wash well.
2. Napkins: cloth, one per person, folded on the plate or beside the fork. One embroidered napkin is enough to set the tone.
3. Plates: a dinner plate with a soup plate on top if there is soup. Forks on the left, knives and spoons on the right, water and wine glasses in front.
4. Serve in clay and copper: the cod and greens come to the table on a platter, wine and water in clay jugs, bread in a clay bowl. Everyone helps themselves.
5. Centrepiece: keep it low so people can see each other across the table.
6. Candles: several, at different heights, away from dry branches.
7. Seats: the oldest get the most comfortable place, near the heating and next to someone who can help them serve.

A natural Christmas centrepiece

Christmas table decoration does not need bought ornaments. A natural centrepiece takes ten minutes:

• Pine cones picked up in the woods, cleaned and dried.
• Oranges, whole or in oven dried slices, studded with cloves.
• Branches of pine, olive, rosemary or bay, which also smell good.
• Walnuts, chestnuts and dried fruit in a bowl, to be eaten at the end of the night.
• Candles in the middle, in clay or metal holders.

Ideas with Portuguese pieces for the Christmas table

The Bailha Napkins (€27.70) are beige linen, hand embroidered in traditional Madeira stitches by Bailha artisans in Estreito de Câmara de Lobos. At a dinner like this, they make the difference.

For serving, the Black Clay Table Pack (€121.32) brings four pieces by César Teixeira from Gondar, Amarante: a gourd and a large jug for water and wine, a púcaro for serving and an alguidar for bread or salad. The clay is fired in a soenga pit and no two pieces are alike. Before putting new clay on the heat, read how to cure Gondar black clay.

The Copper Plate (€124.20), hand hammered by Nuno Palma in Loulé, holds the bolo-rei or the rabanadas and hangs on the wall for the rest of the year. His Copper Cataplana (€183.30) takes octopus or a fish stew straight to the table.

The Cantarinha dos Namorados (€96.20) from Guimarães, with raised flowers, looks good in the middle with an olive branch. And a small bowl of hand harvested Flor de Sal (€7.30) from the Samouco salt pans, next to the olive oil, is the seasoning the cod needs.

To end the night, in moderation, a small glass of Elderflower Liqueur (€22.20) or Aguardente Lourinhã Matriz (€51.10) goes well with the sweets and the conversation.

Traditions at the table on Christmas night

In many homes the table stays full until late: sweets and dried fruit are not cleared straight away, because the family keeps talking or comes back hungry from Midnight Mass. In the Minho, around Esposende, it is said that the fire was kept burning all night so that the souls of departed relatives could come and warm themselves. That is one reason why, for many, consoada is also a night to remember those no longer at the table.

Where to buy pieces for a Portuguese Christmas table

Ra-Ro's Christmas selection gathers pieces handmade by Portuguese artisans, shipped within Portugal and abroad. If you are looking for gifts, see also Handmade Portuguese Christmas gifts: a guide by price.

Frequently asked questions

What is consoada?

It is the Portuguese Christmas Eve supper, served with the family on the night of 24 December. The most common dish is boiled salt cod with cabbage, potatoes and egg.

What is eaten at a traditional consoada?

Boiled salt cod with cabbage, potatoes and egg, dressed with olive oil. In parts of the north, such as Trás-os-Montes and the Minho, octopus is eaten too.

What are the Portuguese Christmas sweets?

The most common are rabanadas, filhós, sonhos, bolo-rei, arroz doce and aletria, with regional variations such as azevias in the Alentejo.

How do you set a Portuguese Christmas table?

A linen or cotton tablecloth and napkins, simple plates, clay or copper dishes and jugs for serving, a low natural centrepiece and candles.

How do you make a natural Christmas centrepiece?

Combine pine cones, whole or dried oranges, branches of pine, olive or rosemary, dried fruit and a few candles in a low arrangement in the middle of the table.

Where can I buy Portuguese pieces for the Christmas table?

At Ra-Ro, which brings together embroidered napkins, Gondar black clay and hammered copper from Loulé, all handmade, shipped within Portugal and abroad.