Carnival Lights Costume

This Carnival costume (Costume of Lights), which is part of the Textiles Management Unit, was donated by Paulo Leonardo and, according to him, was made on Terceira Island for the Matinée Regina costume contest, held at the Angrense Theatre. In 1932, the Matinée Regina was created on the initiative of Alberto Ferreira – a dynamic businessman from Terceira who represented Regina chocolates, where the best children’s costumes were awarded prizes. In this context, ethnography was always well represented, with the typical costumes of Terceira (milkman, shepherd and revellers), as well as the great characters from children’s literature and the celebrities of the time. The matinee gained great prominence when it was held at the Angrense Theater and became one of the highlights of Carnival. At first, entry to the show was free, but later tickets were obtained by handing over the silver from the chocolates that were kept throughout the year.