"Caretos" masks are part of a traditional celebration that happens every year in the Trás-os-Montes area, between October and June. The majority is around Christmas and Carnival.
Isidro Rodrigues is the only artisan left that makes these masks using only traditional production methods, deliberately aiming for a very rustic and authentic design. The masks are made of sheet metal, painted or left raw, and can be decorated with a number of artefacts such as horns or fur. Simple to make but very creative. The main aim is to make them as scary as possible.
A little overview about the tradition:
It’s believed to be a Celtic tradition, and there are different possible explanations for it, but anthropologists believe it to be related to the winter solstice and spring renewal. The rituals, the time of the year for the celebrations, and the costumes and masks vary depending on the location, but all have something in common: the belief in a hidden and necessary fertility for species and the world to renew themselves and not die. Specifically, in Aveleda, the rituals are on the 25th December, and young man dresses up and personify a character which allows them to misbehave, such as going into people’s home and steal their food, and chase young woman. In this village, the costumes are created with material cut in stripes, and the masks are made with tin.
Experience details:
