Portuguese traditions

Religion Roman Catholicism The most predominant religion in Portugal is Roman Catholicism. According to the 2011 Census, 81% of the population of Portugal is Catholic, though only about 19% attend Mass and take the sacraments regularly, while a larger number wish to be baptized, married in a church, and receive Last Rites.

Religion Cristo redentor in brasil (portuguese former colony)

Religion VS Politics Same-sex marriage has been legal in Portugal since 5 June 2010 The government of Prime Minister José Sócrates introduced a bill for legalization in December 2009; it was passed by the Assembly of the Republic in February 2010. The bill was declared legally valid by the Portuguese Constitutional Court in April 2010. On 17 May 2010, President Aníbal Cavaco Silva ratified the law and Portugal became the sixth country in Europe and the eighth country in the world to allow same-sex marriage nationwide

Religion VS Politics A number of groups opposed legalizing same-sex marriage during the process of discussion and continue to do so after ratification. The Catholic Church in Portugal was opposed to the law and, while Portugal is a constitutional secular country, its status as a historically Catholic country was also a reason for the media sensationalism which heightened the controversy over the law. On 8 January 2010, the parliament rejected a motion calling to the national referendum about same-sex marriage.  In February, 5,000 people demonstrated against legalization of same-sex marriage in a march in Lisbon. On 13 May 2010, during an official visit to Portugal four days before the ratification of the law, Pope Benedict XVI, affirmed his opposition to same-sex marriage, describing it as "insidious and dangerous”

Ceramics Azulejo from the Arabic word zellige is a form of Portuguese or Spanish painted, tin-glazed, ceramic tilework. It has become a typical aspect of Portuguese culture, having been produced without interruption for five centuries. There is also a tradition of their production in former Portuguese and Spanish colonies in South America and in the Philippines. In Portugal and other Portuguese-speaking countries, azulejos are found on the interior and exterior of churches, palaces, ordinary houses, schools, restaurants, bars and even railway stations or subway stations. They constitute a major aspect of Portuguese architecture as they are applied on walls, floors and even ceilings. They were not only used as an ornamental art form, but also had a specific functional capacity like temperature control in homes. Many azulejos chronicle major historical and cultural aspects of Portuguese history.

Ceramics The legend of the Rooster of Barcelos tells the story of a dead rooster's miraculous intervention in proving the innocence of a man who had been falsely accused and sentenced to death. The story is associated with the 17th-century calvary that is part of the collection of the Archeological Museum located in Paço dos Condes, a gothic- style palace in Barcelos, a city in the Braga District of northwestPortugal. Rooster of Barcelos its also used as symbol of Portugal

Portuguese traditions