Shrove Rattle
Sat, Mar 01
|Macedo de Cavaleiros
There are many caretos. But the Caretos de Podence are the only ones that since December 2019 have been included on the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. (in: https://www.visitportugal.com/pt-pt/content/entrudo-chocalheiro, Visited on 10/12/2024)
Time & Location
Mar 01, 2025, 12:00 PM
Macedo de Cavaleiros, Podence, 5340 Macedo de Cavaleiros, Portugal
About the event
The caretos represent a tradition of the Carnival of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro with Celtic roots and a pre-Roman period, probably related to the existence of the Galician and Bracarian peoples in Galicia and northern Portugal. On Fat Sunday and Shrove Tuesday, the village boys embody mysterious and energetic characters and run around Podence, jumping and shouting. One of the main reasons for the rush is to find girls to dance with and “shake them up”. This relationship between the caretas and the women symbolizes the fertility that the land begins to gain at this time of year. During Carnival, the Caretos de Podence will run through the streets of the village in the Northeast of Trás-os-Montes to celebrate one of the most genuine Carnivals in Portugal.
(in: https://www.visitportugal.com/pt-pt/content/entrudo-chocalheiro, Visited in 10/12/2024)
