As part of an ongoing project exploring cultural traditions and lesser-known communities, I documented Entrudo do Corrida in February 2026.
Deep in the remote Serra da Lousã mountains of North East Portugal, this pagan spring carnival takes place in the Aldeias do Xisto (Schist villages). Today, three of the villages only have a single resident left.
Locals wear handmade masks, while men and women swap clothing to chase, prank and play-fight through the streets in a tradition that stretches back centuries. Limited resources led villages to craft the masks from natural materials, such as the “skin of the tree”.
Despite severe depopulation, the ritual survives thanks to organiser Jorge Caetano, who has dedicated his life to preserving the culture and stories of these mountain communities for younger generations.
