There are many religious festivals, mostly to venerate the Virgin. Portuguese dances vary from region to region. Typical of Minho are 'vira' and ' caninha verde'. Arab influences are often present in these celebrations. The most important ones are 'the dance of the Moors' of the Algarve and the 'dance of King David' of Braga.
Dances involving only men are rare.
The most important is the dance of the 'paulitos', or sticks, used to create a rhythm for dancers to follow. Fado' is very famous and popular all over the world. In Portugal bullfights are bloodless. In embolada bullfights, the bull is symbolically killed with a wooden sword. This custom was introduced in 1700 when the duke of Arcos was mortally wounded by a bull.