Carnival Time
Parades, music, and fancy dresses – find out how they celebrate Carnival in Portugal and where to find all the parties!
Article by Viv Europe
February 13, 2023
It’s never a dull moment in Portugal! Get your party dresses out and prepare for one of the year’s most exciting events. The costumes, the food, the music, and the theme – it’s something you must experience at least once in your life. Get ready to be awestruck by the Carnival in Portugal!
With less than a month to go, preparations are in place for the Carnival celebrations, and what better way to enjoy the fun than knowing exactly where to find it? Even if you’ve attended similar events elsewhere, each festivity is unique. Are you ready to explore Portugal’s extravaganza?
Keep reading to know how this tradition came into being, what ways the Portuguese celebrate, and where you’ll find all the fun! But here’s a little warning: you might start drooling at the delicacies, and your skin might tingle to experience the parties. Here we go!
How is Carnival celebrated in Portugal?
Carnivals are pretty popular in a number of locations, including Brazil, the USA, Italy, Barbados, and Nigeria. In fact, you must’ve heard about them before at least once. Each Carnival has a unique traditional significance to it, and these celebrations are planned months in advance.
The most famous Carnival, which is in Rio de Janeiro and is also extremely famous in South America, was actually brought to Brazil by the Portuguese. This Portuguese tradition is centuries old and has originated from ancient Roman celebrations, which were later adopted by various cultures.
Carnival in Portugal is a way to mark the end of winter and the start of spring. If you know anything about the Portuguese, you’d know how much they value having a close community and enjoying the joys of life. This celebration is yet another way to get out and party the night away!
So, how do the Portuguese like to celebrate Carnival?
Masked balls, colourful parades, fancy costumes, lots of music, and of course, street delicacies! Months of planning go into this event to bring everyone out on the streets and dance their worries away.
Streets are decorated with bright multicoloured adornments that people start crafting weeks ahead. And participants go to great heights to curate the perfect eye-catching outfit that goes with the year’s theme.
This was just a glimpse into how Carnival is celebrated; keep reading to find out more!
When did Carnival begin in Portugal?
Although it is unclear exactly when these festivities began in Portugal, they’re known to be more than five centuries old, going back to Catholic roots. The earliest recorded Carnival festivities in Portugal date back to the 16th century when the House of Aviz ruled the country.
The House of Aviz was a Portuguese dynasty that ruled the Kingdom of Portugal from 1385 to 1580. At that time in history, Carnival was different from what it is now. It was primarily celebrated by the country’s affluent nobles who’d host grand events like masked balls and others.
Over the years, the popularity of Carnival in Portugal has grown tenfolds, resulting in more widespread and magnificent celebrations taking place all over the country. The tradition is still loved by many and holds great importance in the local culture. And it’s an absolute joy to see expats like you be a part of it too
When is Carnival celebrated?
In Portugal, Carnival is usually celebrated in February or March, in the weeks leading up to Lent. Lent is a time of religious observance and reflection and a period where Catholics abstain from meat.
The exact dates of Lent change every year, depending on the liturgical calendar and the date of Easter. It’s a period of 40 days and starts on Ash Wednesday, with which the Carnival celebrations come to an end.
Typically, Carnival in Portugal is 40 days before Easter, just before Lent starts. This time is a very important part of Portuguese culture and religious traditions. People come together to help those in need through charity and community service, adding to the meaningful observance.
The dates for this year’s Carnival were February 17th to February 21st, 2023, but celebrations can go on a little longer, depending on the city.
Fat Sunday, Carnival Tuesday, and Ash Wednesday
You’ve probably never heard of these terms before, but don’t worry; most expats haven’t! To understand the true essence of the Carnival, we will briefly describe three important dates: Fat Sunday, Carnival Tuesday, and Ash Wednesday.
These events are of extreme importance in the Christian liturgical calendar. Carnival celebrations start on Fat Sunday and end on Ash Wednesday. Let’s begin by explaining each one.
Fat Sunday, or Domingo Gordo, is the last day of feasting before Lent starts. On Fat Sunday, people dress up in costumes and masks to sing, dance, and eat traditional sweets and cakes. One of the very traditional joys of being Portuguese.
Carnival Tuesday, or Terça-feira Gorda, is the main day of the traditional festival and is celebrated all over the country. As we mentioned above, the festivities last longer than just one day. We’ll explain how this differs in the various cities of Portugal in just a bit; keep reading!
Last up we have Ash Wednesday, or Quarta-feira de Cinzas. Ash Wednesday marks the end of the Carnival celebrations and the start of Lent. With this, the beginning of a 40-day fasting period begins, and some people partake in different traditional practices.
To find out about the main Carnival traditions in Portugal read the full article here.