Caretos Tradition

    Podence Caretos actual manifestation, at Carnival Feast, is a pré-historical religious ritual, which throw us to a fantastic universe, where religiousity and profainity frontiers are not clear. They are part of a secular tradition, though to be associated to magical practices, related to agrarian fertility cults.

    Merrymaking’s Sunday and Carnival’s Tuesday are the Caretos main playing days, which appear in groups in every Podence corners, running excitedly, “attacking” people and taverns.

    The main target of these mascarate groups are single girls, which brings them to the top of walls and verandas for “tinkling”. Still some years ago, people used to put doors and windows crossed bars, frightened with what could happen. The “Marafonas” are the only beings respected by Caretos tinklings, shoutings and disorders.
Nowadays, Caretos are smoother, but anyway their runnings and shoutings are allthesame considered frightening for most foreigners.

Caretos use bright coloured leather, wood or brass made masks, where a tined nose is notorious. Their clothes are made of yellow, red, black, blue and green fringe wool quilts. They wear tinkle belts, used to “tinkling” their aims. They also use a stick or a mace that support their runnings and jumpings.