Saint Stephen's Festivals: Celebrating with Flavor in Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro
- Azeite a Norte
- Dec 25, 2025
- 6 min read
"After Christmas comes Saint Stephen's Day, and with him the table that unites all the people" — Transmontano saying
When December 26th dawns in the villages of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, the bonfires from the previous evening still smolder in the squares, but the region prepares for one of the most generous and communal traditions of the Portuguese winter: the Feast of Saint Stephen. [1].
More than a religious celebration honoring the first Christian martyr, Saint Stephen became the patron saint of single young men from Trás-os-Montes and the symbol of one of the region's greatest expressions of hospitality and sharing: the Tables of Saint Stephen, communal meals where everyone—and visitors—are invited to sit and share the same bread, the same cod, and the same fresh olive oil from the harvest. [2].
Saint Stephen: The Patron Saint of Children
Saint Stephen, celebrated on December 26th, is especially venerated in Trás-os-Montes as the patron saint of single young men—those who, according to tradition, organize the winter festivals, carry the logs, dress in masks, and keep alive the ancestral rituals of the region.
The association between the saint and male youth has deep roots in the culture of Trás-os-Montes: it is the boys who ensure the continuity of traditions, who challenge adult authority with their social criticisms (the "loas"), and who symbolize the renewal and fertility of the community. [3].
As Mesas de Santo Estêvão: Quando a Aldeia Inteira Se Senta à Mesa
Rebordãos (Bragança) — A Mesa Mais Emblemática
In the village of Rebordãos, the Mesa de Santo Estêvão is a centuries-old institution that defines the community spirit of Trás-os-Montes. On December 26th, after the solemn mass at 11 am, the entire population—and any visitor who wishes to participate—is invited to a communal meal based on cod and boiled potatoes, served at the Casa do Povo [2].
How the Mesa de Santo Estêvão works:
From 8 a.m., three stewards travel through the village from house to house in a ritual of collection, accompanied by a masked figure, gathering offerings from each family—potatoes, cod, olive oil, wine, sausage. The fourth steward remains at the People's House managing the logistics of the large meal. [2].
At 1 p.m., when the bell rings, the entire village gathers in the hall where long tables covered with white tablecloths are laid out. At the head of the table presides Saint Stephen himself—a small, portable image—symbolizing that everyone eats under the saint's protection. [3].
During the meal, generous portions of the following are served:
Boiled cod drizzled with extra virgin olive oil from the latest harvest
Boiled potatoes also seasoned with new olive oil
Blessed bread, distributed among the stewards after the parish priest's blessing
Cured and smoked meats offered by the families
Regional wine
The afternoon stretches on with the presentation of the "caretos" (masked figures), who bring joy and controlled chaos to the streets, visiting houses and cellars in a ritual of fertility and renewal. [4].
Ousilhão (Vinhais) — The Transmission of Power from the Stewards
In Ousilhão, the Feast of Saint Stephen is marked by the solemn transfer of power between the outgoing and incoming stewards. During the afternoon of the 26th, after Mass and the blessing of the bread, a ceremonial ritual takes place where the King and his two Vassals—central figures of the festival—are transported in a traditional oxcart through the village streets to the homes of the new leaders, where they eat, drink, and dance. [5].
Throughout the day, the masked figures (here called "masks") roam the village to the sound of bagpipes, bass drums, and snare drums, visiting wineries and houses in a "raid on the cellars" where they are greeted with cured meats, wine, and regional sweets. At night, the galhofa (traditional dance) celebrates the closing of the festivities. [6].
Dona Chama Tower (Mirandela) — Living Heritage of the Community
In Torre de Dona Chama, the Feast of Saint Stephen takes on a profoundly communal and identity-defining character. Celebrated on December 26th, the festival articulates the sacred and the profane in a well-defined ritual cycle. After the controlled excesses of the youth the previous night—marked by social satire and symbolic inversion of order—Saint Stephen's Day returns the focus to the gathered community, religion, and sharing.
The central event of the morning is the solemn Mass in honor of Saint Stephen, followed by the traditional Blessing of the Bread, held in the churchyard. This bread, blessed and distributed, represents the cohesion of the village, equality among all, and the saint's protection over the community in the coming year.
Throughout the day, collective rituals are developed that reinforce local identity, with emphasis on symbolic enactments and processions that evoke historical and legendary episodes associated with the village. These moments function as a staged memory, transmitted orally and experienced in a participatory way, involving different generations. The festival culminates in a popular gathering, where food, wine, new olive oil, and fellowship replace any social hierarchy.
Other Villages with Saint Stephen's Festivals
The celebrations are repeated, with local variations, in dozens of villages in Trás-os-Montes. [7]:
Grijó de Parada (Bragança): Round of good-holiday celebrations and masked figures
Vila Meã (Bragança): Boys' Festival with dawn serenade to the sound of bagpipes
Babe, Deilão, Parada de Infações: Community festivities with shared meals
Varge (Bragança): Boys' Festival with the traditional "singing of praises"
Constantim (Miranda do Douro): Boys' Festival in praise of Saint John the Evangelist (December 27), with stick dancers
The Gastronomy of the Saint Stephen Festivals
Cod: A Star Feature on Community Tables
At the Santo Estêvão feasts, boiled cod is the central dish. Simple, democratic, and generous, cod symbolizes sharing: there are neither rich nor poor when everyone eats from the same fish, from the same pot, drizzled with the same olive oil. [4].
New Olive Oil: The Liquid Gold of Winter Festivities
December is the month when the new olive oil from the October-November harvest arrives on the tables of Trás-os-Montes. Still fresh, with intense spicy and aromatic notes, the extra virgin olive oil from Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro is the ingredient that elevates all the dishes at the São Estêvão festivities. [9].
How to use olive oil in the celebrations of Saint Stephen:
With boiled cod: Generously drizzle the fish and vegetables while still hot to absorb all the aromas.
With roasted potatoes: Potatoes cut into wedges, drizzled with olive oil, chopped garlic, rosemary, and coarse salt, roasted in a wood-fired oven.
With grilled sausages: A drizzle of olive oil over grilled alheira or chorizo intensifies the flavor.
With bread: Slices of homemade cornbread soaked in new olive oil, coarse salt, and oregano.
Sweet shop for the Saint Stephen festivities
After the communal meal, traditional sweets from the Trás-os-Montes region are served, many of them made with olive oil from the area:
Pumpkin fritters (Filhós de jerimú): Fried in olive oil, sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon
French toast (Rabanada): Soaked in wine or milk, fried and covered with sugar and cinnamon
Mirandela's "Papos-de-Anjo" (Papos-de-Anjo): Egg sweets filled with fruit compote
Olive oil bread (Broas de azeite): Rustic cakes where olive oil provides a unique texture and flavor
The Deeper Meaning: Sharing, Inclusion, and Identity
The Feast of Saint Stephen and its communal tables represent one of the most beautiful examples of food democracy in Portugal. Here, there are no social distinctions: the doctor sits next to the farmer, the emigrant next to the shepherd, the foreigner next to the native. Everyone eats the same cod, drinks the same wine, and shares the same blessed bread. [4].
This tradition is also an act of cultural resistance — in an era of increasing individualism, the villages of Trás-os-Montes keep alive the idea that the most important celebration is the one shared with the entire community. The olive oil, generously poured over the cod, is the liquid symbol of this sharing: the gold of the Trás-os-Montes land that unites everyone at the table.
"Where there is a table for Saint Stephen, there is room for one more brother" — Transmontane proverb
Come celebrate Saint Stephen with flavor. Come share the Transmontane table.
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Referências
[5]https://www.rotaterrafria.com/pages/330/?geo_article_id=8110 [6] Cordeiro, P. (2020). Entre o mistério e o teatro popular : A festa de Santo Estêvão , dos rapazes e dos Caretos em Torre de Dona Chama. Revista Memorial Rural, 3, 352–363.
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