The main streets of Bragança are filled with tradition, color, music and entertainment, with the Caretos Carnival.

The parade is made up of the most diverse groups of Caretos from Portugal and Spain, accompanied by hundreds of people from groups of Schools and Institutions of the Municipality, all dressed up.

The Caretos, with their colorful costumes, masks and rattles, take to the streets with a single aim: to scare single girls and dance to the sound of traditional music. The typical costumes for this celebration are made by artisans to hide the identity of those who give life to Caretos.

Devil’s Burn

The parade ends with the highlight of the day, the “Queima do Diabo“, taking place in the Bragança´s Castle. In addition to keeping tradition alive, it brings different cultures and generations together. Entrudo Chocalheiro is the culmination of the masked people’s manifestations of irreverence. In Bragança, it is on this day that the figures of Death, the Devil and Censorship go out into the street.

There are historical references to this tradition dating back to 1870. On Ash Wednesday, men disguised as Death, the Devil and Censorship chased and punished maiden girls with belts through the city streets. They teased the masked men and hid in houses to prevent the punishment.