Let your Portuguese pride shine this Halloween. Channel your inner Amália, Ronaldo, and more with these creative costume ideas!
Carnaval may be the biggest day of the year to dress up in costume in Portugal, but Halloween, or Dia das Bruxas, is picking up steam! And for those of us in the U.S., Halloween is the one day of the year we can dress up and be anything we want to be.
Some of us dress up in classic costumes like pumpkins, ghosts, and witches. Others embrace the scarier looks of Halloween (is anyone else terrified of yet another Halloween full of IT clowns?!). Some tap into their favorite superheroes. Some look to fantasy and Disney characters for inspiration. And yet others choose funny costumes layered with inside jokes and puns.
But, if you've ever wanted to bring out your Portuguese cultural roots on Halloween, we've got you covered. And to be honest, we had to get a little creative. Google isn't set up to give you Portuguese costume ideas — not yet anyway.
These Halloween costume ideas showcase some of the Portugal's greatest icons and promise to snag you a costume award at your next Halloween party. Get ready to make this Halloween your most luso inspired yet!
1. Amália Rodrigues, Queen of Fado
Costume Award: Greatest Diva
GET THE LOOK:
Layer this traditional Portuguese Viana scarf over a black skirt or dress and pull your hair back into a low bun. Add winged eyeliner and accessorize with a Portuguese mandolin (even a ukelele could play the part). In no time, you'll be feeling the spirit of a seasoned fadista.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo, Greatest Soccer Player of All Time
Costume Award: GOAT
GET THE LOOK:
Dress like a champion with Ronaldo's away soccer kit from Portugal's Euro 2020 championship appearance. To really nail the look, wear a blue, captain's armband and style your hair with a healthy amount of gel. If you want to go the extra mile, apply five-minute teeth whitener to mimic Ronaldo's pearly whites. Soccer skills come separately.
FOR KIDS:
What child doesn't want to dress up as their hero for Halloween? With this Ronaldo soccer kit, every Portuguese little one can fulfill their dream and be the living legend for a day!
3. Azorean Cow, Happiest of All Cows
Costume Award: Best in Show
GET THE LOOK:
Pay homage to the world's happiest cows, those that roam far and wide across the Azores and whole milk produces the famous Queijo de São Jorge. Carry an Azores flag while donning these cow onesies and you'll achieve a look that's sure to be amoo-zing — especially among a crowd of Portuguese friends.
4. Yourself, in a Punny T-Shirt
Costume Award: Least Effort Applied
GET THE LOOK:
Nothing says "I don't care, but I kind of care just a little bit" like this to-the-point t-shirt that says "This is my Portuguese costume." It's a completely uninspired look. But hey, at least everyone will know that you're Portuguese!
5. Fernando Pessoa, the Poet of Many Names
Costume Award: Most Intellectual
GET THE LOOK:
Pull out that black tie and polished peacoat that have been sitting in the back of your closet for years. Add a self-adhesive mustache and this flat-rimmed black hat. Borrow a pair of glasses with round frames. And you’ll be a dead ringer for Fernando Pessoa — you may even get asked to recite an original poem.
6. Little Portuguese-American Dancer, the Quintessential Luso Kid
Costume Award: Most Adorable Child
GET THE LOOK:
Were you a Portuguese folk dancer as a kid? Or maybe you watched them twirl from the sidelines and secretly wanted to join in on the fun. Halloween is the perfect opportunity to dress up your kid in the cutest Portuguese folklore outfit, all without the commitment of taking them to weekly dance practice.
FOR ADULTS:
If you were a proud Portuguese folklore dancer, or even a forcado in a stateside bullfight, now is the chance to pull out your traditional “uniforms” and don a truly unique Halloween costume guaranteed to win you "Best Repurposed Attire" in a costume contest.
7. Portuguese Explorer, the Greatest Seafarers in History
Costume Award: Most Lost in Time
GET THE LOOK:
Channel the great seafarers of Portuguese history for an epic costume — you could take on the name of Vasco da Gama, Bartolomeu Dias, Fernão de Magalhães, to name a few. This Christopher Columbus costume would make for a great base to a Portuguese explorer costume. Or hey, dress up as Columbus himself — it's been contested that he was actually Portuguese.
8. Ronaldoggo, Best in Four-Legged Soccer
Costume Award: Most Team Spirit
GET THE LOOK:
Don't leave out your furry friend from the Halloween festivities! Show your friends just how much of a Portugal soccer fan you are with this Portuguese soccer jersey adapted for dogs.
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