Although this represents an improvement compared to the 35% drop recorded last year, the slowdown indicates that many Portuguese people are still postponing the organisation of celebrations, which could cause a shortage of supply and price increases in the coming weeks, according to a report by Postal.

Currently, the platform has around 1,100 registered professionals to play the role of Santa Claus — 10% more than in 2024 — but, according to the company, around 2,000 would be needed to meet all the requests. This year, the average price charged per service was €200, €35 more than in the same period last year.

Among the main indicators released by Fixando, the weight of the Porto district stands out, leading in requests with 33%, followed by Braga (21%) and Faro (12%). Lisbon appears with only 9%. There are also districts where 100% of requests did not receive a response, such as Faro, Leiria, Viana do Castelo, Aveiro, Vila Real, Coimbra, and Santarém. Regarding the type of events, 61% are for family celebrations, 18% for commerce, and 11% for companies, with Christmas Eve being the most requested day (37%), followed by December 13th (12%) and December 20th (9%).

For Alice Nunes, Director of New Business at Fixando, the scenario demands advance planning: “We are seeing a significant delay in party planning, which can lead to a shortage of supply and price increases. Our recommendation is that Portuguese book services in advance to guarantee availability and avoid additional costs.”

Fixando also warns that family celebrations remain the most difficult to secure, with only 22% of requests receiving a response.