The real fun reason to go to Portugal in February is Carnaval, a four-day celebration.  Parades and pageants have been part of Carnaval celebrations throughout Portugal for centuries. During Carnaval, the streets are filled with parade floats, lively music, dances, colorful costumes and revelers wearing outlandish masks.  Look to February in Portugal for a unique winter getaway.

Carnaval in Portugal is celebrated throughout the country, from Ovar to Madeira  to Loulé to  Nazaré to Torres Vedras to the Azores, and Lamego . The carnavals in Podence and Lazarim incorporate ancinet traditions such as the careto while the Torres Vedras celebration a wonderful,  typical Portuguese carnaval

Portugal was one of Brazil’s sources of European culture –Carnaval went from Portugal to Brazil but now Portugal has taken back aspects of the Brazilian-style Carnaval celebrations such as glitzy parades, music and glam.

Carnaval, or "Entrudo", formally designates the period of time between Epiphany (January 6) and Lent, but normally refers to the three "fat days" leading up to Ash Wednesday (Sunday, Monday and Tuesday).

These are three days of festivities and excess, with a great deal of food, anticipating the period of fasting, rigour and religious discipline of Lent that commences on the following Wednesday, and only ends at Easter, designated by the days of the "Compadres and Comadres" (the "godfathers and godmothers") -- which are essentially preparatory celebrations for the principal days of fun and amusement.

The "Compadres and Comadres", are groups of young men and women, that confront each other on the two Thursdays prior to Fat Sunday. Each day is led by one of the two groups. Straw dolls are made, dressed in old clothing that poke fun at the opposite sex, and are mocked with jingling sounds. In certain regions, the Comadres (godmothers) offer a meal to the young men which is retributed to them on the day of the Compadres (godfathers). In this manner, they express solidarity between members of the same sex and opposition of the opposite sex, delineating community tasks and positions by subverting traditional customs - On the Thursday of the Comadres, by winning an exercise masculine authority, and on the Thursday of the Compadres by dedicating themselves to domestic tasks.

On Carnaval Tuesday, the dolls are burnt in public, after reading a will that highlights the defects and imperfections of the members of the opposite sex. On Ash Wednesday, life returns to normal and it's traditional balance, thus initiating the period of abstinence of Lent.

In Portugal, there are two great examples of Carnaval tradition: the Caretos (large headed figures) in Podence and the Mascarados (giant masked figures) in Lazarim.

Vestiges of this festivity dates back to antiquity, in manifestations of a religious character that marked the period of transition between the end of winter and the beginning of spring. They were rituals of fertility and the desire for abundance that it was hoped would be reaped in the new year about to begin.

During the same period, the Romans celebrated the Saturnalia, which expressed the same message of regeneration and balance of nature. Saturn was the Latin name for the Greek god, Chronos, who was considered to be one of the supreme rulers of the universe and protector of Sowers. He ruled the world, until he was removed from his throne by his son, Zeus (the Greek god Jupiter) and fled to Italy, taking with him the time of perfect happiness and peace which had distinguished his reign, known as the Golden Age. Major festivities were celebrated in his honour during the winter, known as Saturnals or Saturnalia. It was believed that in this manner, it would be possible to recover the golden age during the period of the solemn festivities. War could not be declared on these days, executions were postponed, slaves and masters ate at the same table, family members and friends mingled together and the spirit of equality between all men was exalted. These principles of freedom and equality also mark the period of Carnaval, which simulate a subversion of the established order, followed by restructuring of the social balance.

The Saturnalia festivities were also marked by moments of reconciliation with the dead and the spirits. For this purpose, the figure of death was personified with white costumes and masks, and a doll and other symbols of the evil spirit were burnt, in an act of purification and liberation from malevolent influences. In many places in Portugal, the Carnaval festivities still end with the burial of the "Entrudo", a final act of freedom and breaking of the rules prior to a return to order.

 
 
= PORTO & NORTH REGION =
 
Podence (Macedo de Cavaleiros) - Caretos de Podence - The masked youngsters get ready to appear from Sunday to Tuesday with their tin masks and colorful multilayered costumes made from red, green and yellow wool. http://caretosdepodence.no.sapo.pt/

Lazarim (Lamego) – This celebration follows the pagan tradition whose origins stem from ancient rituals and Roman saturnalias. Declarations are read out-loud and colorful effigies are burnt. During the festivities, the local inhabitants wear heavy hand-made wooden masks that testify to the wealth of craftsmanship that can be found in Lazarim.  

In Lazarim, in the municipality of Lamego, the Carnaval cycle encompasses two periods. The first starts on the fifth Sunday before Fat Sunday, and the second takes place between Fat Sunday and Ash Wednesday. The various celebrations preceding the main Carnaval festivity are held on successive Sundays.

The first Sunday pertains to friends, where the initial masked figures or persons wearing large sculpted heads walk through the town. During this week, the typical menu is enriched with a wide variety of meats, above all pork meat, that will be ritually served throughout this period, preceding the period of abstinence of Lent. The following Sunday pertains to female friends, and is succeeded by the Sunday of Compadres ("godfathers") and Sunday of Comadres ("godmothers"). During this period there is a marked opposition between the sexes, with demonstrations of authority, in an environment of permissiveness and folie. It is the subversion of the established order, which is characteristic of the Carnaval period, seeking a final equilibrium within the community.

Over the course of five weeks, the compadres prepare the large masked heads and the comadres raise funds in order to pay for the mannequins that will be sacrificed in a public bonfire on Shrove Tuesday - when one of the key events is reading of the Carnaval will, that involves unique traditions in Portugal. A girl reads the Compadre's will and a boy reads that of the Comadre. The text is divided into three sections: in the "beginning" the executors of the will are named, in the "bequeathances" section, a donkey is symbolically distributed between the heirs - Compadres and Comadres - and then there is a final reckoning, the "end" in which the Entrudo (Carnaval doll) is burned.

The masks of Lazarim express a momentary division of the community. On the one hand, we see the Caretos (persons wearing large sculpted heads) and on the other hand the Senhorinhas, their female equivalent. Both roles however are performed by men, who are distinguished by their clothes and the caricatural betrayal of certain types of ridiculous situations that can be easily identified by everyone. In addition to the traditional masks sculpted in wood, the Careto also uses an anthropomorphic truncheon known as a "roberto".

http://www.visitportugal.com/NR/exeres/52F135A9-DC01-49C6-9C78-2C423FA04CFD,frameless.htm  and http://www.gonomad.com/features/0612/portugal-festival.html and http://www.straight.com/article-71987/portugals-fest-is-rustic-fun

Viana do Castelo

= CENTRO DE PORTUGAL REGION =

Estarreja - The first references to this event are from the XIX Century, with “Flower battles” and richly decorated floats which paraded through Estarreja’s streets.  In the beginning of the twentieth century these festivities came to a halt with the death of its main promoters only to reappear again in the sixties to become one of the many important Carnaval festivals in Portugal. www.acestarreja.pt <http://www.acestarreja.pt/>and www.cm-estarreja.pt <http://www.cm-estarreja.pt/>

Nelas / Canas de Senhorim - This festival is one of the most important tourist event in the region, attracting thousands  of visitors yearly. Nelas and Canas de Senhorim are host to the four creative and contagiously festive parades: Bairro da Igreja and  Cimo do Povo (in Nelas); do Paço and  do Rossio (in Canas de Senhorim). www.cm-nelas.pt/page_cultura_m4.asp <http://www.cm-nelas.pt/page_cultura_m4.asp>(information in Portuguese) and www.rt-dao-lafoes.com <http://www.rt-dao-lafoes.com/>

Mealhada

Óvar - The Ovar Carnaval is organized since 1952. This is the largest festivity of the region, with thousand of visitors. The Carnaval participants and their families are involved year round in the preparation of their own costumes, masks, decorations and floats rich in humor and creativity. Ovar is well known throughout Portugal for its wonderfully creative Carnaval as well as the religious processions of the Lenten season which immediate follow as Easter approaches. www.ovar.com/carnaval <http://www.ovar.com/carnaval>

= LISBON REGION =
 
Carnaval for all

Although originally a pagan and folk festival, Carnaval marks the start of Lent. The high point of the portuguese festival is on Tuesday , Carnaval day, although there are parades, dances and festivities throughout the week featuring famous stars from the world of portuguese and brazilian show business. amongst the main Carnaval festivities in the Lisboa region, one of the highlights is the Loures Carnaval – a folk Carnaval – and one of the oldest. This Carnaval features the famous cegadas,
the Mastronças parade and the traditional enterro do entrudo on ash wednesday. in this region it is also known as
enterro do bacalhau (burial of the cod) and symbolizes the end of Carnaval and the festivities. To the north of Lisboa there is also the famous Torres vedras Carnaval, described as the “most portuguese in portugal”. This Carnaval maintains the
traditions of the portuguese festival, with a parade of creatively decorated streetcars satirizing society and politics, and where the locals are always the real stars of the festival. also not to be missed in this region are the traditional Carnavals at alcobaça, nazaré and sesimbra.

 
Alcobaça
Almeirim
Nazaré
Caldas da Rainha
 
Leiria/Fátima - An enthusiastic and coloring Carnaval will fill the streets with contagious joy. The region dresses up! Masked children and adults, Carnaval parades and lots of happiness and irreverence, invade the region, from Sunday to Carnaval Tuesday. www.rt-leiriafatima.pt <http://www.rt-leiriafatima.pt/>

Sesimbra
 
Samora Correira (Vila Franca de Xira)

Torres Vedras - The reason why this is considered "Portugal most Portuguese Carnaval" is its political satire represented on extremely creative allegorical floatswww.rt-oeste.pt <http://www.rt-oeste.pt/>

= ALENTEJO REGION =

Sines
 
= ALGARVE REGION =

Several locations - As a region of strong traditions concerning Carnaval, there are many towns in the Algarve with lively parades: Loulé (one of the most ancient in the country), Quarteira, Alte, Paderne, Moncarapacho, Vila Real de Santo António, Monte Gordo, Tavira, etc. Besides the allegorical cars, the Carnaval festivities include “samba” groups, bands, dances and plenty of music and liveliness.



Loulé - The City council of Loulé, is the promotional entity of the Carnaval of Loulé. This is a great parade full of colour, music and dance that annually attracts thousand of national and foreign tourists to the region. During the 3 days of folia, they go to parade for the main artery of the city - Avenue Jose of the Mealha Coast - of the 15:00 to the 18:00 hours.





In all Islands, including Ponta Delgada and Angra do Heroísmo

The parading of various Dance and Carnaval groups occur throughout the islands and many time with costumes depicting a certain political or cultural criticism of the times.


The Carnaval in Graciosa, enjoyed by all with great enthusiasm in the associations and local clubs where large groups of all ages march by in imaginative and colourful costumes;


"Danças de Entrudo" (Carnaval dances) - name given by the locals to the most important and well-known form of folk theatre - take place during Carnaval. Hundreds of islanders and visitors follow the dances' itinerary around the island, whose themes are related to every day life. The dances are composed by two rows of eight dancers, a "Master" (with a sword or tambourine and a whistle) and a variable number of characters for the "plot", together with a group of musicians. The people from Terceira find in these dances the magic needed to tell what goes on in their souls.
 
The “Danças de Entrudo” or "Danças de Carnaval" (Carnaval Dances and Marches where groups of people, allegorically dressed perform dances and poetic-style comedy), which take place in many of the towns in Terceira during Carnaval time along with the exciting and exhaustive “Touradas da praça ou à corda” the Bullfights in the ring and on the streets, enticing both island people and visitors;



The largest of these theatre festivals takes place in Angra do Heroísmo, with a performance of the Carnaval Dances by about 30 different groups/ "sociedades recreativas"(these are buildings owned by the village band that also serve as small theatres) of the island. This is also the largest popular theatrical encounters in the Portuguese language that is performed throughout the world. It is a phenomenon that originated in Terceira, being an excellent opportunity for visit, appreciate and have fun.

 

In the Azores, Mardi Gras is known as ³Carnaval,² a four-day celebration starting on Saturday and continuing through Tuesday. Parades and pageants are the heart of the Carnaval festivities. There is lively music, colorful costumes, hand-made masks, and floats. On the island of São Miguel, known for its mild weather, you can chose from several hotels in historic Ponta Delgada, the Azores¹ main city. Carnaval has a sweet taste on São Miguel, with street vendors selling fried sweet dough, called a Malassada. The festival on the Azores¹ biggest island starts off with a black tie grand ball, then and heats up with Latin music at the recently restored Coliseu Micaelense. There is a children¹s parade in the streets of Ponta Delgada with children from each school district on the island coming in costume. Then a massive carnaval parade fills the streets into the wee hours with fireworks. Smaller town have choir concerts, parades, and the town of Lagoa has a big fried dough festival, called the Festa da Malassada





Funchal - Taking advantage of a Madeiran tradition, the Carnaval Festivities seeks to keep its distinct popular roots intact.

The Main Carnaval street parade takes place on the evening of Saturday and express the dreams of youth and the desires of seasoned merrymakers. A number of samba troupes with thousands of participating members, flood the streets of Funchal with music and merriment.
 

The traditional public street Carnaval takes place on Carnaval Tuesday, in an environment of effusive liveliness. The island's population, under its own initiative and imagination, is responsible for creating the daring caricatures depicted in this parade. www.madeiratourism.org <http://www.madeiratourism.org/> and http://www.visitportugal.com/NR/exeres/BD75C8D0-9BA0-4A4A-BA12-0C8804575931,frameless.htm

 

Carnaval festival in Madeira is one of the region’s liveliest festivals.

Funchal city wakes up on the Friday morning to the sound of brass bands and Carnaval parades bringing their good humor to the whole of the downtown area, which is then continued at night with concerts and shows in the Praça do Município for five consecutive days.

On Saturday night, it’s time for the great procession of floats to come out into the street. After following their traditional route through the city, they concentrate in the Praça do Município, where there is much singing and dancing in a magical atmosphere of music and merrymaking.

On the day of the Carnaval itself (Shrove Tuesday), Funchal explodes in a great outpouring of merriment. In the afternoon, irreverent merrymakers from all over the world parade in front of the crowd who are in turn infected by this atmosphere of playful caricature - it is time for the popular parade. Throughout this period, the streets of Funchal are decorated with patterns of lights and inundated with background music alluding to the Carnaval period. Let this contagion infect you, too!

In the Azores, Mardi Gras is known as “Carnaval” a celebration starting on Saturday, February 13, 2010 and continuing through Tuesday, February 19, 2010. Parades and pageants are heart of the Carnaval festivities. There is lively music, colorful costumes, hand-made masks, and floats.

On the island of São Miguel, known for its mild weather, you can chose from several hotels in historic Ponta Delgada, the Azores’ main city. Stay in the heart of the downtown at the Hotel Ponta Delgada for just $829 per person, plus tax. Carnaval has a sweet taste on São Miguel, with street vendors selling fried sweet dough, called a Malassadas. The festival on the Azores biggest island starts of with a black tie grand ball, and heats up with dance music at the restored Coliseu Micaelense. There is a children’s parade in the streets of the capital, Ponta Delgada, with children in costume from each school district on the island. Then, a massive carnaval parade fills the streets into the wee hours with music, costumes and dancing.

he development of the Carnaval in Canas de Senhorim has accompanied the town’s historical evolution. The Carnaval was launched following the formation of the neighbourhoods of Paço, where many nobleman lived, and Rossio, where the bourgeoisie and ordinary people lived. Given the social difference between the two neighbourhoods, it was perhaps inevitable that these two groups would confront one another in the Carnaval – a unique time of denunciation and criticism, without anybody "taking offence".

Nowadays, two Carnaval marches continued to be organized. They advance through the town’s streets on the main Carnaval day (Shrove Tuesday), and meet each another at the crossroads between the main street of the Rossio neighbourhood and the street that provides access to the neighbourhood of Paço. At this precise moment, the "revenge" takes place, in which the two groups dance and sing in a festive battle, in order to show who has greater conviction. The group that imposes its spirit of joy and happiness, is considered to be the winner of the Carnaval.

The Canas de Senhorim Carnaval starts on January 6, Epiphany, with the "pots and pans" event. Originally, masked individuals entered the town’s streets at this time, and, taking advantage of the traditional peep-windows in the doors, would throw old clay pots into people’s houses, filled with ashes and gall-nuts that caused great noise and confusion. This custom gradually disappeared and the Carnaval festivities now officially begin on “Fat Sunday” (Carnaval Sunday) when the two rival groups enter the streets, in preparation for the main Carnaval procession on Shrove Tuesday.

On the Monday, the Carnaval celebrations are divided into two moments. The "Flour-throwing" festivities take place during the morning, when girls that leave their homes until midday run the risk of being showered in flour. In the afternoon, there is the “Old ladies’ Monday”. Ancient marches are sung and processions are held, with costumes that allude to the past. The opportunity is taken to organise two informal marches that ridicularise the proceedings of the general rehearsal held on the previous day.

The Carnaval festivities end on Ash Wednesday, with the burning of the "Entrudo" (“Carnaval clown”). After the "Batatada" (potato feast) -- a group feast in which the main dish is salted cod with potatoes, eggs, mint, bread and wine, the Carnaval Clown is carried through the streets, signalling the end of the Carnaval. After reading the clown's will, the stuffed doll is burnt in public, thus signalling the end of the festivities and the beginning of Lent.

In Lazarim, in the municipality of Lamego, the Carnaval cycle encompasses two periods. The first starts on the fifth Sunday before Fat Sunday, and the second takes place between Fat Sunday and Ash Wednesday. The various celebrations preceding the main Carnaval festivity are held on successive Sundays.

The first Sunday pertains to friends, where the initial masked figures or persons wearing large sculpted heads walk through the town. During this week, the typical menu is enriched with a wide variety of meats, above all pork meat, that will be ritually served throughout this period, preceding the period of abstinence of Lent. The following Sunday pertains to female friends, and is succeeded by the Sunday of Compadres ("godfathers") and Sunday of Comadres ("godmothers"). During this period there is a marked opposition between the sexes, with demonstrations of authority, in an environment of permissiveness and folie. It is the subversion of the established order, which is characteristic of the Carnaval period, seeking a final equilibrium within the community.

Over the course of five weeks, the compadres prepare the large masked heads and the comadres raise funds in order to pay for the mannequins that will be sacrificed in a public bonfire on Shrove Tuesday - when one of the key events is reading of the Carnaval will, that involves unique traditions in Portugal. A girl reads the Compadre's will and a boy reads that of the Comadre. The text is divided into three sections: in the "beginning" the executors of the will are named, in the "bequeathances" section, a donkey is symbolically distributed between the heirs - Compadres and Comadres - and then there is a final reckoning, the "end" in which the Entrudo (Carnaval doll) is burned.

The masks of Lazarim express a momentary division of the community. On the one hand, we see the Caretos (persons wearing large sculpted heads) and on the other hand the Senhorinhas, their female equivalent. Both roles however are performed by men, who are distinguished by their clothes and the caricatural betrayal of certain types of ridiculous situations that can be easily identified by everyone. In addition to the traditional masks sculpted in wood, the Careto also uses an anthropomorphic truncheon known as a "roberto".