February in Portugal is shaped by three key themes: romance, Carnaval celebrations, and the beginning of Lent.
The start of the month is relatively quiet. This comes as a welcome after all the festivities of December and January. It’s also that time that some of us realise our good intentions for the new year have remained in the last ;). So let’s dive into what some of the February traditions in Portugal are.
The first day to note, and relatively unknown to most, is “Lean” Sunday. It’s a moving holiday, and this year it falls on the 7th of February (2021). This day connects to an older version of Carnaval known as “Entrudo”. (see further below).
Dia dos Namorados ou Dia de São Valentim
On the 14th we celebrate Valentine’s Day – O dia dos Narmorados. It’s not a holiday in Portugal, but many participate in the associated traditions.
Grammatically, “namorados” means boyfriend and girlfriend in the same word. So “Dia dos Namorados” translates more accurately as “Girlfriend and Boyfriend Day”. But leaving gender out of it, we also say “Dia de São Valentim” – “Saint Valentine’s Day”.
Valentine’s Day this year falls on Fat Sunday (see further below). So it will be a double celebration for some. Flowers, chocolates, red hearts, love letters and other romantic gestures are usually the go-to. The origin of this tradition is a mystery. If you want to find out more about the origin of Valentine’s day, please click the link. And practice some examples of the command tense in Portuguese here.
Entrudo and Carnaval
Carnaval in Portugal has its roots in the older tradition of Entrudo. The celebrations take place just before Lent begins and usually fall in February (or early March).
Traditionally, the week leading up to Carnival Tuesday included Domingo Magro (Lean Sunday) and Domingo Gordo (Fat Sunday), marking the transition from indulgence to the fasting period of Lent.
The name “Carnaval” is often linked to the Latin carne levare, meaning “to remove meat”, referring to the abstinence observed during Lent.
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Quaresma (Lent) – a more reflective period in the Portuguese calendar.
👉 The Caretos de Podence tradition highlights this effort. Take a deeper look at the history, traditions, and regional variations of Carnaval in Portugal, and read Carnaval Traditions in Portugal.
Amendoeiras em Flor | Almond Blossoms
Aside from these events and festivities, the almond trees start blooming in Portugal. There are many organised walks and trips at this time. Some are in conjunction with local hotels and rural B&Bs. They offer special packages in connection with the walking tours. This event reaches into April in some parts of the country. The Portuguese Railway (Comboios de Portugal) have organized train trips crossing the vast Douro region. Well worth a visit if you’re ever in the region at this time.
Read more information about the Algarvian Almond Tree Blossom legend here.
For the Portuguese February-related vocabulary video, please click the link, and for a free printout, click here.
I hope you have an excellent February!
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Brilliant
Obrigada!!