On the Sunday closest to Saint Bartholomew's Day, which falls on 24 August, the sea from Cantareira to Ourigo beach becomes multicoloured: for 82 years now, the traditional Paper Costume Parade has taken place, ending with a swim in the sea for all those who are dressed up.

Some do it out of devotion, others to pay a promise to the saint, others out of love for the cardboard shirt. This procession has been taking place at Passeio Alegre since 1942, where various neighbourhood associations and institutions in the Foz Velha area painstakingly sew themed costumes out of paper for the purifying ritual of diving into the sea. At the end, divers collect the shredded paper, leaving only the coloured dye in the water that seems to evoke all the ailments that were washed away that day.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)