All I Want for Christmas is Porto!

The city may not be covered in a mantle of snow, but Porto is one of the more charming places in Europe — or for that matter, the world — to spend the yuletide season.

It starts earlier in December, as the Portuense (as the residents of the city are called) fashion presépio nativity scenes in their homes and authorities erect a huge Christmas tree in the plaza fronting the Câmara Municipal (City Hall) lit with 50,000 LED bulbs.

Porto’s sprawling Christmas Market usually kicks off on December 1^st in the Jardins do Palácio de Cristal, vendors selling holiday decorations, arts and crafts, and edible treats like bolo rei fruit cake and francesinha hot pockets stuffed with cheese and meat.

The historic 18th-century Clérigos church offers daily programs throughout December including carillon concerts and live music, an elaborate Nativity Scene, and evening access to the bell tower for a bird’s-eye view of illuminated Porto.

On Christmas Eve, families gather for a huge meal called the Ceia de Natal (codfish is almost always on the menu) and then make their way to Midnight Mass at their local Catholic church.

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