In Torres Vedras, Portugal, carnival is a very special event, often called “the most Portuguese carnival in Portugal.” Since 2022, it has been part of the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage and is now a candidate for the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (UNESCO). Its festivities begin one month before the actual carnival and, since its origins, it has been used to satirize socio-political problems and to unite young and old alike.
The First Torres Vedras Carnival
The first recorded reference to the Torres Vedras Carnival dates back to 1574. However, its importance only started to grow in the early 20th century, when it started being used to caricature the socio-political context – particularly by mocking political figures associated with the declining monarchy and the emerging Portuguese democracy (1908-1912). The modern Carnival of Torres Vedras officially began in 1923 with the unveiling of a statue known as the “King of the Carnival”, which still exists today and symbolically “rules” the city during the festivities.
Carnival: Days or Weeks?
Officially, carnival is only on Tuesday, right? Well, in Torres Vedras, it’s complicated to say when it really starts or ends. About a month before the official event, every weekend people organize what they call the “Assaltos ao Carnaval” (“Assaults on Carnival”). In my opinion, it’s just an excuse to go to a club wearing a mask. I usually go with my friends as a group in disguise.There’s really nothing else going on. So, you can see the clubs in Torres Vedras, a small city, where masked people dance and laugh. The most common masks are usually of babies, devils or angels.
Seeing the Carnival Coming
The first official sign that carnival is around the corner is the unveiling of its monument. People use the moment to talk humorously about the socio-political context behind the theme. It’s usually two weeks before the main event. Each year, there’s another theme, and the monument represents it. For example, in 1988 the theme was “Os Descobrimentos!” (“The Discoveries!”), referring to Portugal’s long colonial history—an era when the country invaded and colonized so-called “new” lands that Portuguese explorers “discovered”. In 2023, the theme was “100 Anos de Carnaval de Torres Vedras” (“100 Years of the Torres Vedras Carnival”). Since its beginnings, the carnival has always carried a very political meaning. This year that’s especially true. The Revolution of 1974 celebrates its 50th anniversary. It ended the dictatorship that had ruled Portugal since 1933. Nowadays, people throughout Portuguese society unequivocally celebrate the revolution.
The Monument of “50 Anos Depois”
This year’s monument is called “50 Anos Depois” (50 years later).In the photo below you see a woman with warm-colored hair with a white dove. The white dove symbolizes liberty and peace. It represents the end of censorship and the freeing of political prisoners and of our ex-colonies. In its hair are the three key political figures that had a huge impact on the transition to our current democracy. Representing our problems nowadays, you can also see two executioners: the leaders of the two biggest political parties in Portugal (the Socialist Party and the Social Democratic Party), who are torturing Zé Povinho (Zé, a short name of José meaning “little people”, the official national personification of the Portuguese People). Although this might seem extreme, very few people are offended by this.
This Year’s Carnival Monument. Showing a woman with a dove, key revolution figures in her hair, and two politicians torturing Zé Povinho (Photo: Private).
A Monument With Many Faces
André Ventura and His 50 Deputies in the Parliament Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Revolution of 1974 by Peforming a Nazi Salute (Photo: Private).
One part of the carnival’s monument shows André Ventura, leader of the far right-party. He performs a Hitler salute on top of a cake celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Revolution. This represents a current problem. It is ironic and sad: while we celebrating the end of a dictatorship that isolated Portugal, a new leader, with a lot of support, flirting with similar ideas. In the background,you can also spot Netanyahu and Putin being the puppets of the devil itself.
As it is obvious, the Carnival of Torres Vedras deals with very serious and important matters. Still it presents them in a light-hearted way. Maybe for some that could be a problem. However, I believe, these funny and simplified representations are a good way to raise awareness of issues deserving of discussion.
The Main Event
The main event always takes place from Friday to Wednesday. On Friday morning, all the elementary schools in the municipality of Torres Vedras bring their children to the parade. They dress them according to that year’s theme. Each school chooses a costume that every student must wear. For example, this year, one school dressed its children as carnations, because during the revolution, people gave carnations to the soldiers who had rebelled against the government. That’s how people made carnations the symbol of the revolution. Also, the lady who started the custom of giving carnations to the rebels during the revolution, Celeste Caeiro, died last November. Nowadays, on the anniversary of the revolution, you can see plenty of people with carnations.
I don’t recall my first carnival, since I first participated when I was very young. But I clearly remember the excitement and happiness I felt before every walk around the city with my school. At that time, it was just a chance to dress up differently and be with my friends. Nowadays, this part is still important, and the carnival is still a time when the carnival distracts me from other problems and responsibilities in my life, but it has also become a moment of reflection.
Reigning of the Carnival Kings
Me and My Bestfriend Taking a Photo With a Cabeçudo Representing Amália Rodrigues (Photo: Private).
During the Friday parade, spectators can also see for the first time the cabeçudos (big heads), which are big dolls (3 or 4 meters tall) that have a person underneath them. People make these to represent something (e.g., the devil) or someone (e.g., Amália Rodrigues, a famous Portuguese singer of traditional music). This is also the moment when musicians start playing the unique music of our carnival. It sets the marching rhythm for the groups and the cabeçudos. The musicians are named Zé Pereiras (Pereira is a very common surname). In the afternoon, there’s also what’s called the “Ball of Tradition”, a masquerade ball mostly for old people. You can dance while listening to live music.
Finally, the event culminates with a moment where, metaphorically, the municipality hands over the keys of the city to the carnival kings. These are two men: a king and a man-queen, who have with them a big court of noblemen.
Parties and Parades
A person from one of the Carnival’s organiser groups competing in their costume (Photo: Private)
Between Saturday and Tuesday, there are big street parties (these are just open-air discos, but with masked people) and parades. There are different parades, and each parade has its own meaning. Also, the groups that contribute to the happening of the carnival compete with each other during these parades. They do this by wearing different disguises according to the year’s theme, and the group with the best disguise wins. For example, my favorite one extrapolated a little from the theme and made costumes about the prisons of today’s society (e.g., social media, plastic surgeries).
There are also parade floats that groups design to represent a mix of Portuguese and international context. They making fun of different situations, where people commonly throw cocotes at and from the parade floats (cocotes are projectiles made of plastic and filled with sawdust and rubber shavings).
Political Parade Floats
The parade float “Putanic” Three Men on the sinking “Putanic”; Two reenact the iconic romantic pose at the bow, one paddles at the back (Photo: Private).
Regarding our political situation, you can see a boat called “Putanic” (Puta, meaning bitch, + Titanic) with the previously mentioned politicians. Posing in a very romantic position, while the boat (Portugal) is sinking, and the leader of the far-right party, with an oar, is driving away anyone who is trying to reach his safe boat. Another interesting parade float has some of the main international leaders on the toilet, cleaning themselves with other countries and organizations (e.g., Trump cleaning himself with the European Union, WHO, the Paris accord, etc.), while António Guterres (Secretary-General of the United Nations) is dressed as a saint, trying to clean up all their mess.
The Matrafonas
However, people must not forget one thing. I believe that the biggest symbol of the carnival are the matrafonas, men who wear women’s clothing, but people intentionally make them look horribly bad and ugly. They are not drag queens or anything alike; the matrafonas satirize some of the more vulgar feminine trends. Organizers even hold a competition of who is the best, with participants ranging from 8 year old children to men older than 70! You can’t keep a serious face in front of them and you can find very different costumes. Along with the previously mentioned groups, there are some with only matrafonas in them that are more informal and the more explicit part of the parade. People say its origins relate to a time of economic difficulties. During that time rural men use their wives’ or mothers’ clothes to celebrate carnival. It would be difficult to think of a carnival without them.
Finally, on Wednesday, people “judge” the kings for everything that happened during the last days, and, with no other resolution possible, they burn a doll that represents them. This may be seen as part of the rural/religious root that the Carnival still has (regarding purification).
Good and Bad
Honestly, writing this text while keeping it family friendly is hard. The event is full of irony, sarcasm, exaggerations, and criticism of social norms. The good thing about all of this is that the Carnival allows us to deal with and raise awareness of complicated problems in a humorous and not so serious way.
However, there are problems regarding consumption. There are many people who use the Carnival as an excuse to just drink and/or use drugs. They only attend the open-air discos, which have little to no difference from regular discos. It is not uncommon for people to go too far and end up passed out in an alley or, even worse, hospitalized.
An Experience for Everyone
Me and a Matrafona who is also one of the Noblemen (Photo: Private).
I believe that the daytime parades are a great opportunity for families to have fun together. They allow children to ask questions about the many expressions of the carnival and to embrace the culture. Also, the Carnival of Torres Vedras is an event where you can see young and old. Many families attend together. Usually, one day I go with my best friend and his family. In the end, I believe you can have a lot of fun during the Carnival. You have an opportunity to laugh at the society and the times we are going through.
To sum up, the Carnival of Torres Vedras is an event that lasts way longer than carnivals in other parts of the country (though there are also a few more traditional Carnivals in other cities in Portugal that are very different from this one), with many different festivities and events. It’s also a moment during which politics and social norms are scrutinized in a very crude but funny way, making this Carnival truly unique and worth coming to at least once in your life.
