Skip to main content

New Year

On New Year's Eve there are numerous cruise ships in the port of Funchal. In the evening, many small stalls with food and drinks are set up in the streets of the city. Madeira welcomes the New Year with its unique fireworks.

Fireworks are being launched all over Funchal at the same time. It is an overwhelming splendor of color in the sky. This fireworks display is one of the most beautiful and largest in Europe.
According to a Portuguese custom, 12 raisins are eaten at midnight, for each month of the new year they have a meaning: happiness, love, health, peace, prosperity, . . .

Did you know?

Curral das Freiras
(Valley of the nuns)


This is a small secluded village in the heart of the island, where in the 16th century the nuns sought refuge from the pirates who frequently raided Madeira.

 

Most of the current inhabitants live in the countryside producing chestnuts and cherries, which is typical and traditional in this area. There are many chestnut trees in the forest and every year on the 1st of November the chestnut festival takes place.

Many traditional recipes contain chestnuts and you can make almost anything from them, mainly different liqueurs, cakes, puddings and soups.