Carnival revelry, matrafonas and 50 years of freedom in Torres Vedras

For some, it's the most wonderful time of the year. You can be whoever you want - an astronaut, police officer, superhero, adventure film character - or even a member of the opposite sex - without anyone sneering at you. Because, as we all know, everything is allowed at Carnival.

It's a centuries-old tradition, especially in Catholic countries, that in the days leading up to the start of Lent we can let loose. In Torres Vedras, a city of around 28,000 inhabitants less than an hour from the Portuguese capital Lisbon, the tradition dates back to the 16th century. But Carnival only began to be officially celebrated from 1923, and today, just over 100 years later, it is the most popular in the country.

This fame is mainly due to its particularity. While Brazilian-inspired Carnivals are all over Portugal, the Torres Vedras Carnival has remained true to its very Portuguese roots. In 1924, a year after the first King of Carnival was elected, it was decided that a Queen would also be elected - and that this Queen would also be a man. Since then, the matrafonas - men dressed as women in a crude and hilarious way - have become the centrepiece of this celebration.

Cross-dressing culture

"Everyone knows the Torres Vedras Carnival as a special Carnival, which has nothing to do with the Brazilian parades or all those imports," Laura Rodrigues, the mayor of Torres Vedras, told Euronews. "This is a Carnival that comes from the rural roots of Entrudo."

This year the organisers decided, after a vote on social media, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the revolution of 25 April 1974 - after all, a defining celebration of freedom.

The figures evoking this historic episode were a constant in the organised groups of masked people who paraded in the "corso trapalhão" on Saturday night and paraded again on Tuesday along with the floats.

"At first, we were afraid it would be a difficult theme to deal with in terms of masks," says Laura Rodrigues. "Then we saw that the most diverse and creative masks were made, from the blue pencil (representing the censorship that existed during the Estado Novo) to doves and cages. I'm glad this theme was chosen, because it's another way of reaffirming the importance of 25 April in our lives and the freedom we've come to have - some of which wouldn't be visible at this Carnival if 25 April hadn't existed," adds the mayor.

Gilberto Fonseca is dressed in full costume, with a red carnation in his hand and a sash that says "Miss Matrafona" and gives us his opinion on this year's theme: "It's a way of remembering what happened in 1974, but it's not an easy theme, because there are a lot of people in favour and a lot of people against," he says, in a country that elected 50 far-right MPs in the last legislative elections.

Satire is, in fact, a central element of this Carnival, with the many floats that parade in the main procession on Tuesday afternoon representing - or ridiculing - national and international political figures.

All of this involves a great deal of time and work, according to Marta Coelho, a member of the organising team: "One of the first things we do is select the floats, which is done in September. From the end of the year, we start coordinating with the groups of masqueraders who are going to parade. Then they start creating the costumes according to the theme. We also have to coordinate with the eight carnival associations that are taking part. It's a process that takes a long time.

The organisers estimate around half a million people visited this year.

Journalist • Ricardo Figueira

Video editor • Bruno Filipe Figueiredo Da Silva