Christmas is, for the Portuguese, much more than a date on the calendar. It is a time of meeting, family, memory and values that span generations. It’s the shared table, the full house, even when it’s small, the hug that comforts and the tradition that reminds us of who we are. But it is also, for many, a difficult time, marked by worry, absence and the daily struggle to reach the end of the month.
In Portugal, there are thousands of families who are experiencing this season with anguish. Parents who count every euro to guarantee a gift for their children. Elderly people facing the winter alone, with insufficient renovations to pay for medicine, heating and food. Young people who would like to return home, but who emigrated because the country did not give them opportunities. This is a reality that we cannot ignore or disguise with empty lights and speeches.
Christmas cannot be just consumption, nor an illusory break in a country where so many people live in permanent difficulty. The true Christmas spirit forces us to look at each other, recognize weaknesses and act with responsibility and humanity. Solidarity is not a symbolic gesture of the times: it is an attitude that is built every day, with closeness, attention and commitment.
Portugal has an identity deeply linked to family, community and mutual help. We are a people who have always known how to resist with dignity, even in the most difficult times. And it is precisely in these moments that the values of Christmas gain true meaning: unity, sharing, respect and care for those who are by our side.
We cannot accept that there are those who are left behind while others live comfortably away from the country’s reality. Politics, civil society, institutions and every citizen have a role to play. Helping is not just giving, it is being present, listening, supporting and not turning a blind eye. It’s about ensuring that no one feels forgotten or invisible, especially in a time that should be one of hope.
This Christmas should also be a time for collective reflection. About the country we are and the country we want to be. A country where work is valued, where the elderly live with dignity, where families have security and where solidarity does not depend only on the good will of a few, but on a true national conscience.
Despite the difficulties, Christmas continues to be a time of hope. Hope for better days, more justice, more humanity. Hope that we know how to preserve what defines us as Portuguese: the strength of the family, the closeness between people and the sense of community.
To all those facing this Christmas with difficulties, I leave a word of respect and courage. To everyone who helps, supports and doesn’t look away, I would like to say a sincere thank you. And to all Portuguese people, I wish this Christmas to be lived with truth, unity and solidarity.
May we not lack humanity. May we not lack courage. And may we never lack the ability to care for each other.
A Holy and Merry Christmas to everyone.
Economist and deputy of Chega to the Assembly of the Republic