The Ancient Masked Tradition "Caretos" of Northern Portugal 

"uma rapariga que mora aqui dentro apalpou-me as mamas e eu apalpei as dela" would be impossible to be more portuguese than that

Absolutely amazing video! It is soooooo rare to watch these kind of videos about my country. Great job! Please continue to explore Portuguese traditions!!

There are festivals in, like someone mentioned in the comments, Sardinia, and I also have seen from Greece and I think Romania as well that are very similar. It could indeed be celtic in origin but, with these similarities accross Europe it could be even older, maybe going back to the first farmers of Europe. It is obviously a fertility rite, it also marks the beggining of the end of winter and what the old gentleman mentioned is interesting too: there was a darker side to it as it used to be a time to settle grudges. Like the Roman Saturnalia, there is a period where the normal social order is upturned, things can be said and things can be done that in the rest of the year can not. This is an escape valve for social tensions. If you can, next Christmas investigate the burning of the Madeiro in the villages of Penamacor municipality and also the singing of the Janeiras (the equivalent of our christmas carols) that you will find a little all over the interior. The wood for the madeiro supposedly had to be stollen from the richer families forest plots and only after christmas compensation was offered (if at all) a way to "tax the rich" for the benefit of the community. This one is also considered a celtic tradition that survived. The Janeiras also have an element of redistribution of wealth and social release as, contrary to the anglo-saxon tradition, not all songs were nice and polite: the singers would go around to the best houses with a first song politely asking to be invited in (and be fed and drink by the host). If the host was generous and his table satisfactory they would sing songs of praise. If not invited in or the hospitality deemed as unimpressive according to the perceived wealth of the host they would sing songs mocking the person or unkind household. Singing the janeiras would give some of the poorer younger people in the village a few days of eating well right in the middle of winter. By the way the tradition of insulting people in a creative way is as old as Galaico-portuguese literature with the genre of the Cantigas de escárnio e maldizer being as old as our lovely Cantigas de Amigo and Cantigas de amor

Love, love Caretos. The tradition dates back to before Christianity, before Portugal was accepted by the pope in Rome as an independent kingdom /country, which was before Spain was created. It was a pagan celebration which the Church was never able to dominate (like the Winter Solstice that became Christmas...) ... good job Dave. I enjoy your videos and will keep watching.

Wow! 😁👏 💚 Cool video Dave. As a Portuguese, I always urge those from abroad, who really want to get to know Portugal, to go beyond the well-trodden paths - quite literally ;), and delve into the rural and interior regions of the country. Each province, each town and village, each place, has a long history full of memories and tales. Everywhere has its flare of uniqueness, in the culture, in the landscape, in the overall vibe, even the accents change quickly as you travel by, and yet, the many regional identities so naturally come together to make up a country that may appear small, but as such, is made vast in our eyes. Portugal has an hinterland full of charming culture, and amazing nature. Mountain ranges and rugged highlands, rivers and lakes, meadows and prairies, and the contrasts brought by the changing seasons. It's a realization that many foreigners miss, overshadowed by the coastal metropolises and the bubble they create. To venture off the beaten path is to discover the heart and soul of this nation among the serene landscapes and ancient ways, as the land reveals its true essence to you.

This is so amazing. Thanx. Just booked my ticket on Dec 5th. Headed to buy my piece of paradise moving shortly after. It's a process. Great to learn something new about Portugal every day> Thanx for sharing your process as well. Cheers Gina from Upstate NY USA

its always a pleasure to see how much people love Portugal and embraces the culture, always looking forward to new videos. Truly amazing video.

I wasn't expecting to finish this documentary! Well made and beautifully shot. I'm glad I ran into this video and learned about the caretos. Also, at 6:02 the cutest elderly man passes by!

This video and the one about Gerês are truly fascinating and beautifully made. Please continue bringing us to the beautiful natural areas of Portugal!

Spain and Portugal were home to early Gallic Celtic tribes who migrated to Ireland pre Roman & Christian

It is a tradition that goes beyond the age of the country itself. Certainly more than a thousand years old.

I'm portuguese and I didn't even had a clue this thing existed in my country! There's a lot of different cultures and traditions inside of Portugal even though Portugal is a small country.

Thank you for honoring Portuguese culture :-)

Ahahahah, the água-ardente probably was illegally home made so there is no regulation or limit on alcohol content can easily have +80%. It's a bit like moonshine in America but it is not made with cereals, it is usually made with leftovers from the fermentation process of wine which is very normal in this area. Can also be done with a semi wild fruit "medronho" but this is more normal in Alentejo.

TY for showing the world our ancient Celtic genesis and our traditions. Yes, we may now have a Latin veneer, but undenearth, we are Celts. Also great to see the redheads from the area. They seem to be often found in Trás-os-Montes, but not just. I live about 1 hr North of Lisbon in the Santarém area and my little parish town is full of them! 😅So much for Portuguese being short, chubby and swarthy...

Great to learn about Caretos. I didn't know about them. Wonderful costumes which you can see take a lot of time and care to make. Looked like you had a blast and love the end of this video!

Amazing video, It's beautiful to see the effort and passion They put in the masks and costumes, and how They value their traditions. Thanks!

Thank you for digging in this country cultures and sharing it to the rest of the world. The way you do it makes entertained and fun. I like people with open mind to new cultures. We can learn from each other and make this planet a better place to live. Thank you Dave for this great video.

Great filming and editing of this unique tradition

Brilliantly edited. Well done Dave 👏

Northern Portugal is a glimpse to what Iberia was before the Islamic invasion. Such a beautiful ancient culture!

loved the end great video 👍

The Entrudo is a pagan festivity much like Christmas was before the Catholic church took it as its own. Being a pagan festivity it's believed it predates the Roman invasion of the Iberian Peninsula, so roughly 2000 years old. There are still some pagan festivities in the country that dates back to the Celts, like the Burning of the Cat (also celebrated in the Entrudo), Jumping over the bonfire...

Nice video! Very informing and well put together, you did a very good job, congrats👍😀 Make more, please...

Great video!

That is because Portuguese are a Celtic people....

I love your channel. It is really informative and entertaining as well. My wife and I are planning to emigrate to either mainland or the Azores so this info is very helpful for us. I'm really quite surprised you don't have more followers. I will definitely put the word out about your channel. Regards, Paul

Ahahahah! Drinking aguardente 😂😂😂😂 good luck 😂🎉

Awesome video man

David just love this one, I have been following you and love your content but this one was top notch PS- love the end

Dave, it is an absolute pleasure to see how much you seem to enjoy and respect our diverse culture and traditions. You may want to do a search on "Festas e romarias do norte de Portugal". It will most probably take to interesting places. Keep up the great work. I wish all immigrants (who call them selves expats to sound fancy and upper class) who come to our beautiful country, would be more like you. Thank you for respecting our beautiful little country that I love so much!

Amazing video! Good work!

Very cool to see you connecting to your European roots. Welcome home

Awesome video!!

This was incredible, keep making videos like this one Dave 👏👏

Parabéns Dave . Excelente trabalho .

Very interesting video David... thanks so much for sharing 👍💯🤗

So similar to what happens in Sardegna

Great documentary Dave! I hope you keep doing content like this, you could check the Napoleonic Invasion of Almeida, the recreations of the battle will be held in the last weekend of August!

thanks! really interesting. I'll make sure I'll go see it next year

Fantastic look into Portuguese folklore and traditions. Thank you for helping to keep these alive. You’re the man!

Hi Dave, So I am from Nigeria and from a minority tribe called Efik in Calabar. We have something similar to this Masked Caretos called Tin-ko-ri-ko Festival or just Tinkoriko, you might want to check more about it cause i believe they are connected for some reason that the Town of Calabar was actually named by the portuguese and the portuguese were the first traders that landed there before the Brits.

New subscriber. Love your content and channel!

Ok that video was awesome, good job.

Excellent video about one of the many traditions in Portugal. near Podence, in the city of Mirandela, on the first weekend of August (friday) the "Noite dos Bombos" takes place. I'm sure you would enjoy visiting and making a video about this iconic tradition. Here you can also find one of the founders of this tradition created 60 years ago, Mr. Rui Barreia.

great video! the ending was pretty sick

Loved the ending!

Never knew, thank you so much for sharing❤

Good video.

Que maravilha. Obrigado. Thank you Dave.

So cool Dave! Muito bem 👏

Thanks for share our culture! Amazing ending, ahah! Surely this vid will go to my fav list.

Considere yourself blessed to have eaten food cooked in those pots, that is the best way to cook food. And yes the north of my country has something that the rest of the country doesn't.

Well done Dave!

What a great video. 👍 😮 your editing and production skills are next level. Your story telling seemed to change pace right at a good time that either picked up or slowed down to focus on all the visuals.😃🥇 🎬 🎥

Super,👍👍👍👍

Good job in representing North Portugal and good video. Thank you.

Portugal is a very small country but it has a great cultural diversity. And yes, the people from the north are the most welcoming.

Excellent job.

"I feel that Northern Portugal is different from the rest of the country”. If you only feel it, you have to try again. There is a huge division once you cross the Mondego River. There are several Portugals: the genuine one with its people, traditions, and culture extends up to the Mondego River, then there's another Portugal from the Mondego to the Tejo River, which is completely different. From the Tejo to the Mira and Vascão Rivers, you have a different Portugal altogether, and from these rivers to the Mediterranean, you have the British Allgarve, (I'm just kidding. - Adoro os nossos alentejanos sem travões). And I haven't even mentioned the islands. P.S. It seems like another Portugal is emerging from the Sado River to the coast.

This certainly predates Portugal birth in 1128. Absurdly haunting but there are very similar traditions throughout Europe.

The documentary is absolutey great, congratulations. At some point it seems a bit "scary".. But being there with lots of people and music playing it is really very cheerful and funny 😃 And Caretos are actually very playful 😂

Bro, are you sure that you're American?.....I'm enjoying so much watching "your journey" in "my" country without filters and seeing the beautiful and the not so beautiful .. You're really immersing in our culture and costume's, interacting with the locals and understanding the way others live. Are you sure that you are not Portuguese?? 😂 congrats 👌👏

So Awesome!

thank you Dave!

By them it's okay haha That's my grandparent's region. It's cute you travel our country so much 😊

I'm there rn :) it's so fun

Smart decision on the beer you're drinking, Dave. Love Super Bock!

Very nice

Had a great time in Podence this spring but did not know about Lazarim. The costumes are very impressive,

Well done

I'm glad to see you enjoying this beautiful country. Know, tell us, that "água-ardente" knock you off a bit or not?

Thanks!

Olá Dave this is the best video ever.. o melhor de todos, maybe you got something going on here

When we go to live in another land, the smartest thing we can do is learn to love the new territory, that's what you're doing... We value the old and build happiness in the new.

Muito Bom😊👏👏👏

@Dave et al.: as a Portuguese, I just couldn't resist come here to read the comments. All of this must seem so odd for Americans... well, you have Mexico's "Dia de Muertos" very near you, and Halloween yourselves ;) [I know, different occasion / season] Aguardente is actually very therapeutic... not advised anymore for headaches, anyway, just for drinking :) [people used to rub it on the forehead -- when desperate with migraines, it may actually help]

Other parts of the country are also beautifull and filled with traditions!

Some believe these are remnants of old pagan ceremonies that had an important role in their context. Those masked used to be only the single dudes of the village and wearing them for the first time represented an initiation into adulthood. Some traditions evolve, adapt and change, unless its bullfighting 🤭 Nice work btw. And keep exploring, there's still a lot of diversity to wonder about in this is small place.

Not even Holywood made such cool masks and costumes.

Is not true that the origens of the Caretos is not Knowed. It was a Celtic ritual that celebrated the end of winter. The burning of the devil in the end is one of the few (along withe the Imbolc in Ireland) Celtic rituals that you can see today.

Now you need to go and find another aldeia to see the 31 of October to 1 of November fest. We used to go to every adega in the town and taste the new wine, then we would find the loudest bull car and drag it around stealing the flower pots from the balconies. The night would end at the church where we would place the flower pots so people could take them home after the mass the next morting.

What an amazing video, Dave. An American who can teach me some things that I didn't know about my people is amazing. Thank you for the way that you are livinhg here!

You should try Podence's Entrudo

Hey Dave, an American couple from Braga. We saw this video you put out and decided to go see it for ourselves. We’re from New Orleans so you can understand the attraction. Some advice please. Where should we stay nearby? I’m thinking that in the town itself isn’t really practical. Any other advice? Thanks.

Why Portugal wiped out its Celtic, Proto Celtic and Germanic traditions out its history books is beyond comprehension. You go to Scotland, Wales, parts of Bavaria (Celtic and Germanic) and you see very similar masks, and traditions

if we don't share it let someone else do it, even a foreigner. Good job! keep going ;)

great video, soon you will be portuguese too

Ótimo vídeo, parabéns

God! Turismo de Portugal should hire you to make all the content about this country!

Mental note: Aguardente = burning water. Entrudo or Carnaval... next year make sure you take 4 days to go to Torres Vedras (during the day is wild... during the night...you won't believe it!!! Carfull around the bar Porta 3 A it gets worse thant the subway) Carry On!

Dave, why are you drinking super bock???? If you want mainstream get Sagres, or if you fancy craft beer, try Hopsins craft beer from Sintra!

That was fantastic! It was interesting to learn that they celebrate customs similar to those in Mexico. I would love to make beautiful costumes like those but I doubt such an event could exist where I live. Funny to see you being carried off at the end!

Correction! Not lost as you can see in the video. Not to us (Portuguese)... Unknown to (many/most) foreigners, yes. As most of our History... This celebration comes from celtic times, previous to roman occupation of Iberian Peninsula. North of what is Portugal today is one of recognized celtic nations of western Europe.

i might have heard about this when i lived in my country but i didn't know it was this interesting

Hi you should go to Montalegre as well to visit the party they do all the Friday 13 it’s about witches , like a Celtic Halloween don’t know a better way to describe it 😊

as someone from barcelos is it normal that i never heard of this??

klaus would love this festival

Great work except that you mixed together Lazarim and Podence which have different customs and traditions

We should maintain and incentivise some traditions like Caretos as long as they are appropriate to modern times (without robbery, gropping, etc), but some other traditions belong to the past and must end (like the Burning of The Cat and Bullfighting).