sung and everyone is merry with holiday cheer, but the Portuguese community do things a little differently.

Christmas Eve is the night when everyone is aglow with the Christmas spirit.

In Portuguese homes, that is when most of the presents are exchanged, and single men go from house to house to toast the holiday. Later, everyone settles in to a nice big plate of traditional Christmas Eve dinner, otherwise known as Cozido de Bacalhau -- a codfish dish with vegetables.

After the meal the adults usually exchange their gifts while the young children receive theirs when they wake up on Christmas morning.

However, after opening gifts, the mood changes to a feeling of "giving thanks'' as they set off to the midnight Portuguese Mass normally held at St.

Michael's Church.

Following the service, families join in a procession to see the nativity scene and Christmas tree before going home to catch up on a little sleep before making their rounds later that day.

Before attending Mass, Portuguese children, expecting Santa Claus, traditionally leave a shoe or sock under the chimney to let him know who lives in the house.

However, many years ago it was said that a shoe left by the chimney was for baby Jesus as he was the one delivering gifts.

President of the Portuguese Cultural Association Mr. Joe Benevides said: "The night before Christmas we have the codfish dinner. Family come over then we go to midnight Mass, the whole family.

"On Christmas Day we have Christmas lunch at a family member's house, consisting of turkey and ham, fried beans and sweet bread with sweet rice on top, and then we go visiting throughout the day.'' Mr. Benevides also said the other difference between the typical Christmas and how the Portuguese celebrate Christmas was the tree.

"Instead of putting presents under the Christmas tree most families put them next to the fireplace or wherever the shoe is.

"We decorate under the tree with a nativity scene and a little village. Some families will decorate their whole room with the village and years ago instead of ornaments the tree would be decorated with fruits and balloons,'' Mr.

Benevides said.

Mr.

Francisco Massa-Flor reminisced about celebrating Christmas in the Azores.

"In the Azores on December 8 we have a religious holiday called Nossr Senhora Da Imaculada da Conceicao which means Mother of Christ and the Mother of Portugal -- otherwise known as Mary's Day.

"There is a Chamber of Commerce contest for shop windows and everyone goes to other cities to look and vote on which is the most beautiful Christmas window.

Shoppers can also see what each store has to offer in terms of gifts. "The best window is given a prize, It's a very big day.'' Mrs. Maria DeMello, who is known for going all out when it comes to doing her nativity scene around the Christmas tree, told how she makes Christmas special by decorating a quarter of her living room in a nativity scene.

"I have a nativity set which consists of towns, churches and streets with different people,'' she said. "I started doing this nine years ago and I get all the pieces away. Every year I go and get a new piece and a few pieces have become one-of-a-kind collectors' items.'' Mrs. DeMello added that setting up the village takes about a day and in the Portuguese community it is "normally a tradition, however in most cases it is not done as big as mine.'' "Everything is lit up in the nativity scene, I'll keep it up until January 6,'' she said.