CULTURE SCRAPBOOKBy: Iram Robles

Population Facts Portugal has a population of just over

10.7 million. Portugal’s population is growing very

slowly, about .24% a year. It has a relatively small urban population. Most Portuguese are ethnic

Mediterranean stock There is not much ethnic diversity

Population Cont. Black Africans began migrating to

Portugal after decolonization, make Portugal’s less than 1% of the population

That 1% also includes east Europeans and Gypsies

They tend to live in poorer conditions than the others

Language-Portugal’s official language is Portuguese-It is derived from Latin and spoken by

hundredsof millions worldwide- Many Portuguese speakers understand

Spanish because the languages are so similar

- Several regional accents can be heard on the mainland and in the islands

- English is also taught in school

Religion More than 80 percent of Portugal is

Roman Catholic Most Portuguese consider themselves no

practicing People tend to be more religious in the

northern part of the country Mass, confessions, processions, and

religious holidays in more devoutly

St. Peters Cathedral

Gestures Although Portuguese are rather reserved,

they use physical gestures in conversations

It is impolite to point directly at someone with the index finger

Rubbing the thumb with the first two fingers means money

Pulling the skin down below the eye with the index finger means, “are you kidding me”

Greetings A firm handshake is an appropriate greeting for

anyone but some prefer light handshakes Friends often hug Children are expected to kiss adults in the

extended family when greeting them Touching is common because it shows friendship The person arriving is expected to greet first Common greetings include hello, good day, good

afternoon, good evening, good night, please, and thank you

People use first names for friends, children, and teens otherwise you use their title and surname

Holidays New Year's Day, Easter, Anniversary of

the Revolution (25 Apr.), Labor Day (1 May), Corpus Christi, National Day of Portugal (10 June), Assumption (15 Aug.), Proclamation of the Republic (5 Oct.), All Saints' Day (1 Nov.), Independence Day (1 Dec.), Day of the Immaculate Conception (8 Dec.), and Christmas.

Food/Eating Portuguese take time to talk during meals They in the continental style, fork in the right hand

and the knife in the left For Breakfast (coffee or milk and toast or a sandwich)

Lunch usually the biggest meal of the day eaten about 1pm

A coffee break is usually token around 4pm Most families share dinner together eaten about 8 or

9pm Lunch and dinner usually consists of soup, a main dish

that has meat of fish and vegetables and a fruit or a sweet for dessert

Most people do not dine often

Clothing Portuguese dress conservatively Men wear suits to work (sports jackets are also

popular) Leather dress shoes are worn for most occasions Tennis shoes are for recreation, not everyday

use Clothing is ironed well; wrinkles in clothes are

considered sloppy. Tattered clothing is improper Young people dress casual and sometimes less

carefully

Sports/Recreation Soccer is by far the most popular sport in

Portugal Running and basketball is also a favorite

activity Portugal has a national Soccer team Portugal is home to Cristiano Ronaldo

Arts Portuguese art has a long history and

continues to flourish today Unique architecture can be seen on

cathedrals, castles, and palaces decorated in ornamental styles

Fado (fate) music similar to the blues in North America is very important to Portuguese

Joined by Portuguese guitars, it usually portrays a sense of loss or sadness