On a cold and misty December 25th, just 11 kilometres from the Spanish border, a tradition called Festa dos Rapazes, or Young Men's Festival, also known as Festa dos Caretos, took place in Varge and Aveleda villages in the region of Braganca, Trás-os-Montes, Portugal. The folkloric ritual is thought to have Celtic pre-Roman roots and goes on in a number of villages in northern Portugal during the winter, from the 24th to the 6th of January, as well as during Carnival.

The rite of passage consists of an unmarried young man dressed in homemade costumes who engages in the event by playing mischievous pranks on the audience, playing musical instruments, dancing, participating in masses, visiting houses, and performing the LOAS, which is an important part of the tradition. During the Loas, having prepared the tales in advance, the young men recite, in quatrain, stories of the people in the village that occurred throughout the previous year; these tales, which are spoken in their usual transmontano dialect, are also expanded to beyond the village and are loaded with critical social underline commentary delivered in a satirical and provocative way. 

Some of the origins of this ethnologically significant ritual are associated with soil fertility renewal, fecundity of men and animals, and the upholding of civic law and morality by their ancestors, who were considered privileged holders of power over the essential basis of the individual's life.

Diogo, one of Aveleda Village's Caretos, lives 12 km away in Braganca; he said he spends half of his week in the village, and his primary concern is to contribute to the village's economic and cultural progress. He added that the village now has just 60–70 residents, which makes sense given that the village’s population was 272 in the most recent census report in 2011. There are also documents indicating that the village's population has gradually decreased since the 1940s. Diogo emphasises the importance of keeping the tradition, stating that the community once had about 40 Caretos but is now only 14, a situation he is trying to change.