From our contributors: week of March 19

Here’s some interesting reads to brighten up your week brought to you by our team of contributors from around the world.

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Maria Adelaide de Bragança van Uden, a Heroic Portuguese Princess in World War II

Her code name in the O5 Austrian resistance group in World War II was “Mafalda”, but in reality she was Her Serene Highness, the Portuguese Princess, Maria Adelaide de Bragança. During the war she escaped two death sentences by the Gestapo and being sent to Siberia by the Soviets.

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Picture Postcards: Haberdashery shopfront in Lisbon, Portugal

This week’s shopfront is in Lisbon, Portugal and the photo was taken by our contributing editor, Ana.

Read more:
Pastéis de Nata (Portuguese Custard Tarts)
5 Interesting Facts About Portugal
The Man Who Saved 30,000 Refugees

Pastéis de Nata (Portuguese Custard Tarts)

Pastéis de Nata are one of the most famous Portuguese pastries. Once you put your feet for the first time in Lisbon, you know you will end up at Pastéis de Belém, enjoying this egg tart pastry, sprinkled, comme il faut, with cinnamon and powdered sugar.

http://www.jctorres.com.br/jornal/

You also know that you should be patient because many people will be there on the waiting line. However, you know it will be worth it, not only because of the quality of the pastry, but also because you are in the place where the first globalization of the world has begun, Belém.

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PocketCultures world tour: best of 2011

Happy New Year! Our roundup of 2011 begins with a reminder that 1st January is not the beginning of a new year throughout the world. Carla wrote that Brazilians consider the year to start after February’s carnival, and Anu wrote about new year celebrations which take place at different times in different parts of India. Of course many parts of the world do celebrate the start of the New Year on January 1st, and Sandra’s post explained all about new year celebrations in Portugal.

Bolo Rei – part of the New Year celebrations in Portugal. Credit.

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Magusto: a Portuguese Autumn celebration

Magusto is a popular festivity in Portugal, especially on Saint Simon’s Day (29th September), All Saint’s Day (1st November) and Saint Martin’s Day (11th November). People sing and play during these evenings celebrating the crops and the life in the countryside. Galiza (Spain) celebrates it too, and they call it “magosto”.

Groups of friends and family, especially in the countryside, get together near a fogueira (bonfire) to eat baked castanhas (chestnuts) and drink jeropiga and água-pé, two traditional Portuguese alcoholic beverages. If the first one is sweeter and more alcoholic than usual wine because we make it with aguardente (“fiery water”, a kind of young brandy), the second one isn’t so alcoholic because it’s done with water. Either the water or the fiery water are added to the residual pomace from wine making. (more…)