Christmas in Cape Verde, another experience to share unique moments while traveling.
The most familiar time of the year is approaching, but also one in which many people take the opportunity to travel and experience a Christmas different from the conventional ones. Christmas in Spain is synonymous with cold, fireplace and snow (in some parts). You only have to see Santa’s thick coat and the red nose of his reindeer to corroborate that the coldest holiday of the year is already here. However, in other parts of the world, there is no better setting for this celebration than a beach in the warmth of a sun that is more radiant than at any other time of the year. Are you up for experiencing Christmas in Cape Verde? We tell you what awaits you in the archipelago.
December is curiously the hottest and driest month in this African country located off the coast of Senegal. The temperature is around 27ºC and the risk of rainfall is practically nil. No doubt, a quite different context to the Christmas you are used to, isn’t it?
A special time in a slightly different atmosphere
In Cape Verde you can forget about your coat and scarf because the warm rays of sunshine will be the first to greet you on Christmas Day. So, you won’t have to rub your hands together to warm up in front of the fireplace because any of the beaches of the idyllic island of Sal or Boa Vista will warm you up in a matter of seconds.
The Cape Verdean archipelago is a majority Catholic country, due to its ties with Portugal. This means that Christmas traditions are very similar to those we have in Europe and the rest of the West, although with certain particularities, of course.
"One of the most striking events that takes place during Christmas in Cape Verde is the fireworks on the beach."
Christmas in Cape Verde also revolves around family, abundant lunches and dinners and religious traditions. These are dates that Cape Verdeans take advantage of to spend in the company of their loved ones around tables where there is no shortage of Christmas sweets and delicious food. Of course, do not expect lamb or suckling pig, but rather a cachupa, the national dish.
What’s more, it is also common for Cape Verdeans to look forward to the arrival of Santa Claus after Christmas Eve dinner, on the eve of Christmas Day, although he will most likely arrive on a surfboard and not in a sleigh!
Christmas in Cape Verde is spent at the beach
One of the most striking events that takes place during Christmas in Cape Verde is the fireworks on the beach. Get ready to watch a spectacle of light and color over the ocean on both Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Definitely a great way to start the new year!
In the archipelago, these religious celebrations are lived with the same fervor, but at a different pace. You can be sure that the Christmas atmosphere will take over every corner, seasoned with an interesting exoticism and tropical character.
If you feel like partying until dawn, then your place is the island of Sao Vicente and, especially, Mindelo, its capital. Here you will find all the fun you need to experience your first Christmas in Cape Verde. Who knows if they won’t be the last.
