New Year vs. New Olive Oil: Renewal and Tradition in Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro

Azeite a Norte
Dec 31, 2025
5 min read

When December arrives in Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, two renewals happen simultaneously: the arrival of the new year and the completion of the harvest that gives us new olive oil. Both carry with them a profound symbolism of new beginnings, prosperity, and continuity—values that these lands have preserved for centuries and that remain alive in the villages, olive presses, and tables of Trás-os-Montes.

New Olive Oil: The Liquid Gold of Renewal

The olive harvest in Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro traditionally extends from October to January, with December marking the peak of processing in the olive mills. It is in this month that the new olive oil—green, intense, aromatic—begins to flow, bringing with it the flavor of the land and the result of a whole year's work. [1].

In the villages of Trás-os-Montes, the arrival of new olive oil at the mills is a cause for silent but profound celebration. Producers gather while the golden liquid drips, tasting the first still-warm stream, dipping freshly baked bread in it, and assessing the quality of the harvest. This is an ancestral tradition of tasting new olive oil, usually held in November and December, where not only the quality of the product is celebrated, but also the collective work and the connection to the land [2].

The new olive oil from Trás-os-Montes, produced mainly from the native varieties Verdeal Transmontana, Cobrançosa, Madural and Cordovil Transmontana, is distinguished by its intense flavor, with herbaceous notes and a slight acidity that makes it perfect for enhancing the genuine flavors of regional cuisine. [3].

The Ritual of Bread with New Olive Oil

There is an ancient custom, recorded as early as the 18th century in Francisco da Fonseca Henriques' work "Medicina Lusitana," which mentions the tradition of eating hot bread with new olive oil directly from the press. This simple gesture, yet full of meaning, represents the direct connection between man and the land, gratitude for the harvest, and the renewal that new olive oil brings—symbolically, a "new beginning" preceding the New Year. [4].

New Year: Traditions of Prosperity and Renewal

While the new olive oil arrives at the mills, the villages of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro prepare to celebrate the turn of the year with unique rituals that invoke prosperity, protection, and fertility for the coming year.

The New Year's Bouquet: A Symbol of Abundance

One of the most emblematic New Year's traditions in the Trás-os-Montes region is the New Year's Branch, celebrated in villages like Réfega and Rio de Onor, in the municipality of Bragança.

In Réfega, the inhabitants prepare a branch decorated with fruits, sweets, and cigarettes, representing the tree of fertility and abundance. This branch is auctioned on January 1st, and it is believed that whoever acquires it will ensure prosperity for the new year. On the night of December 31st, it is also a tradition to build a cloth and straw doll representing the old year, which is burned in a bonfire—a symbolic ritual of purification and renewal. [5].

In Rio de Onor, it is the village youth who gather the ingredients to make the bouquet: salpicão (a type of cured sausage), linguiça (another type of cured sausage), cakes, chocolates, and other sweets—products that represent the basis of local prosperity. This bouquet is also auctioned off on New Year's Day, in a gesture that unites tradition, community, and hope for the future. [5].

Bonfires of Renewal

In several villages in Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, the tradition of fire remains alive during the New Year. Bonfires are lit in the village squares, bringing the community together in a celebration rooted in ancient winter solstice rituals—when our ancestors lit fires to celebrate the rebirth of the sun and ward off evil spirits. [5].

This fire worship, which we have already discussed in depth in our article on Bonfires and Young Men: Light and Tradition in the Heart of Trás-os-Montes, at the turn of the year, it takes on an even more intense meaning of purification, renewal, and unity.

Around these bonfires, families share wine, roasted chestnuts, and the first cured meats of the year, while formulating their wishes for the months to come..

The Caretos and the Noise of Passing

In Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, it is a tradition for the Caretos to take to the streets on New Year's Eve, wearing their characteristic colorful costumes, masks, and rattles around their waists, making mischief and lots of noise—a way to ward off evil spirits and pave the way for renewal. [6].

This ritual is part of the festive cycle that runs from Christmas to Epiphany, known as the "twelve-day cycle," a period in which several villages in the municipalities of Miranda do Douro, Vinhais, Bragança, and Mogadouro celebrate the transition between the old year and the new year through masks, dances, and fertility rituals. [7].

Parallels between New Olive Oil and New Year

There is a deep symbolic connection between the arrival of new olive oil and the celebration of the New Year in Trás-os-Montes. Both represent:

Renewal: New olive oil is the fruit of the last harvest of the year; the New Year is the restart of the calendar. Both mark the end of one cycle and the beginning of another.
Prosperity: Olive oil is synonymous with wealth and abundance; New Year's rituals invoke fertility and plenty for the coming months.
Continuity and Tradition: The centuries-old and millennia-old olive trees that dot the Transmontane landscape symbolize generational connection; New Year's traditions are passed down from parents to children, keeping the collective memory alive.
Sharing and Community: Tasting new olive oil in the mills and New Year's rituals are moments of conviviality, where the community comes together to celebrate the work done and the wishes for a better future.

Celebrating Renewal at the Table

New Year's Eve dinner in Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro is steeped in the flavors of new olive oil. It's a tradition to drizzle dishes with a generous stream of freshly extracted olive oil, elevating any recipe—from boiled cod to oven-baked rice, from French toast to roasted sausage.

New olive oil takes center stage at these celebratory tables, where each dish tells a story of work, dedication, and love for the land. It's a way to honor the harvest that has ended and invoke prosperity for the one to come.

Because in renewal—whether of olive oil or of the year—dwells the hope of better days, more bountiful harvests, and always abundant tables.