Despite Portugal being one of the oldest countries on Earth, some traditions have been forgotten in today’s Portuguese multicultural society. The Portuguese tradition of Carnival is singular in a very unexpected way.
Comparisons aside, the Carnival celebrations are for the Portuguese what Halloween is for Americans. Nowadays, when it comes to costumes, it’s primarily a celebration for children. However, across the country, some traditions have been passed down from generation to generation, and even adults partake in them. Adults invented Carnival, and to understand Carnival, it's crucial to recognize the religious roots behind it, especially the role of Christianity. In today’s society, many people are unaware of this connection because they do not celebrate Carnival for religious reasons. The question then arises: Was the Carnival ever celebrated for religious reasons?
For Christians, there are several important days throughout the year when the life of Christ is commemorated in various manners. For example, during Christmas, Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ (Click HERE to read about the Portuguese Christmas). At Easter, they honor the resurrection of Christ three days after His crucifixion. Additionally, there’s Epiphany in early January, also known as Three Kings' Day—the day the Magi visited baby Jesus—and Ash Wednesday, which marks the first day of Lent, the beginning of the 40 days of penitence leading up to Easter. Carnival is most closely associated with the latter.
Technically, Carnival starts right after Epiphany, but the biggest celebrations occur the four days before Ash Wednesday, which falls this year on March 5th.
According to Professor José Hermano Saraiva, a famous Portuguese historian from the past century, Carnival used to be called “Entrudo” in Portugal—from the word “entrada” [entry] or “entrada na Quaresma [Lent]”. That means that as the people were about to start a 40-day penitence period imposed by the church, they had an opportunity to go wild right before then. It was the only period in which the oppressed and the elites could do things out of the normal, and multiple social classes could interact in many non-religious ways.
For the working class, pranking the bourgeoisie was common—like throwing rotten oranges against each other (known as “laranjada”). These pranks would happen on the streets; this was known in Portugal as “Carnaval popular” or “Carnaval de rua,” opposite to the “Carnaval civilizado.” The bourgeoisie, on the other hand, would go beyond their social norms and indulge in spaces in which men and women would seduce each other. The Venetian masks are known globally; they were used in Casinos, for example, by people who wanted to play the anonymous game. For this, the Carnival became an event celebrated by multiple social classes. For Prof. Hermano Saraiva, “These were days in which it was allowed to say and do everything that was prohibited in the rest of the year.”
For psychiatrist Vitor Cotovio, “Society felt the need to create moments of decompression, allowing people behind [Carnival] masks to represent characters they would otherwise be censured from, both by society and themselves during their daily lives. ... The Carnival creates this period of fantasy and decompression.”
The origins of the celebration are uncertain. Historians claim the Ancient Egyptians and Greeks already had something similar before it was even called Carnival. In the XV century, Pope Paulo II allowed the Via Lata, in Rome, to have an allegorical parade, as well as races with animals such as horses, donkeys, and buffaloes, and a battle of confetti and eggs. It was a grotesque show by the people, for the people.
When it comes to the origins of the word “Carnival,” some experts have claimed that it comes from the Latin "Carnis Levale” [to remove the meat], while others refer to the word "carnelevamen,” meaning something like "the pleasure of meat.” During Lent, one of the major changes Christians need to make in their lives is the removal of meat from their diet. If they don’t, they are sinning. For this reason, it’s normal that the word “Carnival” is related in a way to something truly important for them and something they would be deprived during Lent.
In Portugal, the Entrudo is considered old, but it was mostly celebrated within the homes of the Portuguese families. For this, there aren’t many documents discussing its specifications, but it’s known that the Entrudo was full of meat and wine, parody, social equality (between masters and servants), and various forms of excess, even sexual. Only at the start of the XX century and especially after the Implantation of the Republic in 1910, did the old Entrudo become the Carnival and started being celebrated on the streets—known in Portugal as “corso carnavalesco” [Carnival parade].
For decades, different traditions were celebrated in several villages across the country, but today’s modern Carnival is more like a homogeneous event. Common things such as the masks, the allegorical cars, and the Brazilian samba dancers are seen in the majority of the Carnival celebrations. In the Portuguese Carnival, you should expect lots of food and beverages, and a burlesque and satirical mood everywhere.
For F. Costa Andrade, an older resident from Bragança, “the [modern] Carnival has been reduced to the celebrations brought from lands with other costumes, other cultures and other people seen in parades that are noisy and flashy, more or less showy, in which the colors, the choreographies and the rhythms, are manipulated according to the interests of the occasion, because they are not even close to our culture and our traditions, and are nothing compared with the happiness and the parody of the old Entrudos."
Still, some of Portugal’s largest and most traditional Carnival celebrations take place in the first week of March in Loulé, Torres Vedras, Madeira, Terceira, Ovar, Lazarim, Podence, Canas de Senhorim, Alcobaça, or Mealhada.
The Carnival of Loulé, which has been taking place since 1906, is considered the oldest "Carnaval de Rua" in Portugal and the biggest in the southern region of the Algarve. The event is known as the “Battle of Flowers” [Batalha das Flores] because many almond trees bloom in the region at this time of year. For this reason, many people decorate their costumes and allegoric cars with flowers.
The "Matrafonas" is a symbol of the Portuguese Carnival of Torres Vedras. This short documentary presents the Matrafonas through the lenses of people who don't dress as such, but have been affected positively by this tradition.
The most significant Carnival event in Portugal nowadays is the Carnival of Torres Vedras. It not only attracts a substantial number of attendees from across the country—approximately 450,000 individuals graced the streets of Torres Vedras in 2024—but is also distinguished by its unique features. These include the “matrafonas," men who dress as women akin to a drag queen performance, and the “cabeçudos," individuals donning oversized costumes characterized by large heads and grotesque appearances, often representing well-known figures such as politicians or public personalities. The Carnival of Torres Vedras has garnered considerable popularity and significance within the nation, prompting the local government to submit an application to UNESCO for the inclusion of this event in UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list.
On the island of Madeira, in Funchal, the Carnival resembles a Brazilian festival more than a Portuguese one. Or is it the other way around? Some historians have discovered that the origins of the Carnival in Madeira trace back to the 16th century, a period when Brazil was a Portuguese colony. Thus, historians concluded that the celebration of Carnival may have been brought to Brazil by the Portuguese and through Madeira. The truth is that the government of Madeira is among the top Carnival investors in the country; just last year, it contributed about half a million euros to this event.
Some of the most intriguing Carnival celebrations in today’s Portuguese society occur in the northern villages of Lazarim and Podence. Approximately 160 kilometers separate these two villages. Lazarim is situated south in the district of Viseu, whereas Podence is found in the district of Bragança. With about 686 residents, Lazarim is a small village that has existed since the 13th century. Conversely, Podence is also very old and even smaller, with the last census (2021) indicating 246 residents. Both villages share Carnival traditions that are rough but relate to love and various forms of seduction.
In the village of Lazarim, in Northern Portugal, masks are wood-crafted by local artisans. These masks symbolize grotesque figures, such as the devil, and are used by locals during Carnival. (Ir em Viagem)
The wood and metal-crafted masks distinguish the tradition of Carnival in these towns from the rest of the country, especially in the central and southern regions. The individuals who wear these masks (usually men) are known as “caretos.” Fully dressed, they parade through the streets of the old village, startling women they encounter and storming into taverns to create a bit of chaos. In Lazarim, these masks are carved by experienced carpenters to depict images of the devil, death, laughter, and addiction, as if representing a metamorphosis into a different reality. In Podence, they are crafted from metal and painted red, with vests made of wool adorned in red, yellow, and green. The caretos symbolize the past and remind us of a time when courting was a performative ritual that required effort, creativity, and a great deal of bravery. A context that no longer exists in today's digital world.
In the village of Podence, in the municipaly of Macedo de Cavaleiros, the "caretos" run through the streets during the "Entrudo Chocalheiro". The "Chocalho" is similar to a cowbell, which is carried by the caretos to make noise on the streets. (RC)
In 2019, the history and tradition of the caretos were listed in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, making this one of the few Carnival traditions to receive such an important level of cultural protection.
Thus, this year, if you are in Portugal between March 1st and March 4th, travel within the country to celebrate the Carnival in a town located somewhere different from where you are. While there, ask the locals about their memories of the old traditions and be curious about how it has been changing. Question them about the real meaning of the saying “No Carnaval, ninguém leva a mal” and be ready to carry your Carnival experiences forever.
Enjoy the readings, and have a lovely Carnaval! 🎭🦹♀️
You just read Tiago’s newsletter. Topics in the newsletter are focused on the Portuguese language and culture. All the links in this letter will connect you to sources in Portuguese. You can read more of these newsletters on the Related Posts below.