Carnival Traditions in Portugal

1. The Carnival in Portugal
Carnival in Portugal has a long carnival tradition
and millenary roots and is still one of the most
important "cycles" of the country.
Although it is a festival with greater prominence
in the urban means, it still owns characteristics
of rural means.
In Portugal, Carnival is also known as “Entrudo”.
“Entrudo” was an old Carnival game, a Carnival
joke that consisted in throwing water on the
people around. Nowadays, in many Portuguese
regions, children still play Carnival, throwing
water at each other, with water balloons or
water pistols.
Elements
Among the most traditional elements of Portuguese foliage are the Caretos of
Podence, Trás-os-Montes.
Carnival in Portugal -Caretos Chocalheiros (Caretos with rattles rattling)
In this feast, men wear large, pointed nose masks, which may be red, black, yellow
or green, made of leather, brass, or wood. They are the so-called Caretos

2. Chocalheiros. They are dressed in a striped colored suit
- red, green and yellow - made of long wool fringes and a
hood.
They carry a stick in their hand (to help them in the
raids), have rows of rattles and bells attached to the
body. And the intention is to make as much noise as
possible, to run and jump through the streets of the
village, to rattle the single girls - is what the tradition
says, but in fact,no one is free to be the target of brave
brawls!
Some sources say that this tradition of the
Caretos is related to the ancient Roman
Saturns - celebration in honor of Saturn,
God of the sowings, or that it all began with
the Celtic people and with its passage
through the North of Portugal.
A certainty, it is a ritual between the pagan
and the religious, a farewell of the rigorous
winter and a greeting to the arrival of the
sunny days of the spring. It is celebrated
throughout the region of Trás-os-Montes,
but the village of Podence, in the
municipality of Macedo de Cavaleiros is
perhaps the most active in these
celebrations, which were even to disappear
in the 70s, but now seem very lively and
assured by groups of children (who already
dress the same as adults), thus existing big
Caretos and young Caretos.
Also, in some regionsof Minho the Carnival
is still celebrated, it is buried on Carnival
Tuesday night, a funeral procession with
the right to mourning.

3. During the ceremony is read the Tent of the Entrudo, pretext for a satirical
discourse that has as target the most diverse authorities, from the Mayor of the
City to the President of the Republic. The Carnival tradition that precedes the
Carnival consists of wearing old clothes. The men dress as women the women of men
and they must have the face well disguised. "Win" the fantasy that passed by and
nobody recognized who it was. Lots of fun and joy on the day when everything is
fantasy and laughs at things that normally preoccupy society.
Also the Cabeçudos (Big Heads) or Gigantones
(a kind of Giants) cannot miss this party.
Zé-Pereiras announcing Gigantones
Gigantones

4. The groups called "Zé-Pereiras" are
characteristic of the celebrations
and pilgrimages of the North of
Portugal with greater incidence for
the Entre Douro and Minho. These
groups parade through the streets
playing percussion instruments -
boxes of drums, toms and drums; as
well as melodic aerophones: pipes
and bagpipes, sometimes accompanied by Gigantones and
Cabeçudos. Recently the concertina, an instrument of
great expression in Minho, has been introduced in these ensembles.
In Lazarim and Podence, belonging to the municipality
of Lamego, annually runs one of the most genuinely
Portuguese Carnivals, keeping well alive ancestral
traditions that endure through the ages. The main
interest of this Costume is its famous wooden masks,
sculpted by artisan of the village. The Carnival itself
is a Roman heritage, with a mixture of traditions that
go back to the first people to inhabit the region like
the Celts and Suevos and who are loaded with figures
of pagan mythology.
Entrudo
The Carnival of Canas de Senhorim has almost 400 years and unique traditions like
the Pizões, the Paneladas, Burning of the Entrudo, Despique among others.
In the Azores, more precisely on the island Terceira, lies one of the most peculiar
forms of Carnival in Portugal, the Carnival Dances and “Bailinhos” (Carnival
Tradicional Dancing).

5. This tradition, considered as the greatest manifestation of popular theater in
Portugal,dates to the time of the first settlers andreflects a theatrical style very
much like the Vincentian Autos.
Some carnivals such as Ovar, Madeira, have strong inspiration in the current
Carnival of Rio de Janeiro. From these places left most of the immigrants who would
take the tradition of Carnival to Brazil and with it came new traditions.
Estarreja, Loures (dates to 1934 and has the largest organized Carnival group of
the country, "Mastronças" - men exuberantly dressed as women), Nazaré, Podence,
Loulé, Sesimbra, Sines, Elvas (called the International Carnival of Elvas) and Torres
Vedras which together with Carnival of Canas de Senhorim is one of the oldest in
Portugal.
The Carnival of Canas de Senhorim has close to 400 years and unique traditions like
the “Pizões”, the “Paneladas”, Burning of the Entrudo, Despique, among others.
In Lazarim, belonging to the municipality of Lamego, the Carnival takes place most
authentically Portuguese, keeping alive ancestral traditions that last through the

6. ages. The main interest of this Costume is its famous wooden masks, sculpted by
artisanof the village. There are testimonies, alreadyin the year1879, by the height
of the Carnival, this tradition assumed the outlines of a medieval manifestation,
loaded with macabre references, the beard and assumed a frightening character.
The woodenmasks were,for some, lined with rabbit fur. Snakesand Sardons(a kind
of lizard), picked up in the winter, served as ornaments, were nailed to the wooden
masks, so that they would still look more terrifying.
In all the Carnivalparades of the countrythere is also a godfather anda godmother
who sponsor these same parades, parading through the streets of the place.
Sesimbra Carnival