Stick Game

A traditional art which requires great strength and skill, the Stick Game still exists today in Cabeceiras de Basto, more precisely in the parishes of Abadim and Bucos, located in the perimeter of the Serra da Cabreira. What once was a game of self-defence, probably of Asian origin and inspired by an Indian dance where two or more people fought with a stick in their hands, is currently a sport purely for exhibition, but it still continues to be one of the most well known traditional games. A linen shirt, black pants, vest and red handkerchief are the clothes worn by the players that skilfully handle the “Lodão” stick, usually a metre and a half long, and show off their power and expertise in the art of fair combat.