Caretos – A magic Carnival

Carnival is almost here and, with its arriving, there is a festive atmosphere of pleasure and good mood that, despite of the cold weather - typical in this time of year -, attracts visitors of the entire world.
           
There are many original and amusing ways of celebrating the Carnival in Portugal; One of the most ancient may be seen in some villages of Trás-os-Montes (a north-east region in Portugal), especially in Podence and Ousilhão. Here, the Caretos are kings. They run, scream and jump frighteningly trough the village like little devils freed from control, causing surprise to the unwary.

The Caretos (also known as facanitos, if they are underage)are seen in very large groups, and they use as disguise some funny and rudimentary masks, from where generally a big pointy nose stands out. These masks are usually made of wood or leather, and are completed with an attire of green, yellow and red stripes, that is meant to scare people. To help the Caretos in their scurries and nasty jokes around the village, they use some wooden sticks, or mocas, in order to support themselves to the granitic grounds of Trás-os-Montes.

The favourite targets of the Caretos to do their devilries are the single young women. They are so scared of the Caretos that in the days theyare out on the streets, the girls confine themselves at home, spying them through the windows to see what nasty tricks they are up to. These tricks involve many times running after people in the street or grabbing cellar owners to get some whine. Many times, the Caretos find out where the girls are, and climb to the windows to grab them, while doing noises with the bells and jingles they use around their waste. This makes them even more frightening!
           
Back in the old days, when the Caretos went out in the streets to do their knaveries, people locked their doors, afraid of what their abusing behaviour could do. Nowadays these friendly devilish figures are moderated and almost everything is allowed to them.

The tradition of the Caretos started thousands of years ago, as a pagan ritual to make the soil fruitful. It is said that when someone puts on the eccentric Careto garment, a mysterious behaviour (or misbehaviour?) and a supernatural energy - that no one knows where it comes from - takes control over his body. In the Trás-os-montes habitants’ beliefs, there is something magical in the Carnival of Odense that allows the Caretos to do things that other people can not do.

It is the originality and the antiquity of this tradition, full of sounds, colours, smells and cheerfulness that make the Caretos each time more loved and famous, in Portugal and in other foreign countries, where they frequently do shows. Nevertheless, there is nothing like seeing them live in their original environment. Can you imagine how would you feel?