The Festive Season In Madeira Island

In a flash and the Festive Season is here, many of us tend to wonder where the year has gone! But the fact is that the Season to be Jolly is here and many of us are already planning out the Party Season.

If you have never been to Madeira before in the Festive Season, you really should add this to your bucket list, being a mainly Catholic Island the Madeirans really take this season seriously, with Festivities in the centre of Funchal starting from the 1st December when the lights go on this year and go on to the 5th January when we are singing to the kings (three wise men), a fairyland comes alive with all the main streets in Funchal lit up and all the main roads around the island, all around Funchal you can find different activities going on, such as folk dancing, wine tastings and little huts where you can taste the Madeiran delicacies like our "bolo do caco".

One of the main parties is on the 23rd December when to local market is transformed for the choir singing, upon entering the market you will truly feel the Christmas spirit, with hundreds of locals out in the streets to sing to Jesus, around the market the local people sell their fruit and vegetables that locals buy for their so special meal of the Christmas Eve, in my family we open the presents at midnight so it's a long wait with lots of eating and drinking.

The night of the 24th to 25th December is usually spent up in the mountains in Camacha, where mass is held and then we have street parties till the early hours, full of local espetada and of course lots of alcohol and music.

The moment everyone has been waiting for, the highlight of the year is the New Year in Madeira, we were in the World Guinness Book of records in 2006 and this year we have 8 minutes of fireworks waiting for you, I can't even explain the feeling all I know is that after 17 years in Madeira, it can still bring tears to my eyes, it really is something special that touches your heart in such a special way and should be experienced at least once in a lifetime. The partying goes on until the early hours of the morning and don't forget your best clobber, Madeirans dress up to the nines for this special night!

Festivities end of the 5th January with people going all around their neighbours house singing traditional songs in Funchal you can enjoy the musical show "cantar os Reis"

So if you haven't done so yet, add Madeira to your To do list, or book your holiday now, believe me you will love this Island at this time of year!!