A New Year’s Eve Celebration in Madeira

New Year’s Eve is one of the biggest celebrations in the island chain of Madeira. On the main island in the capital city of Funchal, the Guinness Book of Records named the world’s largest fireworks show in 2006, lasting a total of eight minutes!

The city of Funchal itself is festooned with a million colorful lamps that sway in the breeze, lighting the way for the city’s residents and its visitors during the New Year’s celebrations.

There are more traditions in Madeira than just the incredible fireworks display on December 31. On December 28, the São Silvestre race is open for participants to run. This race through Funchal has been a yearly tradition since 1958 and reached a record number of participants in 2018, with over 3000 runners!

When celebrating New Year’s Eve with family and friends, Madeirans wear formal clothes, such as dresses, tuxedos and other fancy clothing. As the countdown begins, they eat twelve raisins as a symbol of their desires for the next year. The fireworks are then launched, both in Funchal and elsewhere.

Many hotels and restaurants host gala dinners on New Year’s Eve, followed by the fireworks. Fans of nightlife can also celebrate in bars or nightclubs in Funchal, while others who’d like to get a great view of the fireworks can settle into a spot at the Praça do Povo, CR7 Square, Funchal Pier, Santa Catarina Park, Pico Fortress, the Fortress of St. Tiago or even on a rented boat or catamaran.

Those who will be visiting Madeira over New Year’s but don’t want to participate in the biggest celebrations can enjoy the island of Porto Santo, which hosts its own smaller celebration.

The New Year traditions don’t stop until January 1, when it’s a tradition for Madeirans to swim in the sea, which has an average temperature of about 66 degrees Fahrenheit in January.

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