Make your own Galo de Barcelos
You’ll need
- Coloured pens or pencils
- Paint brushes
- Paint
- Craft materials (for example, tissue paper, pipe cleaners, stickers)
- Glue sticks
- Scissors
Before you begin
- Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. There’s also more guidance to help you carry out your risk assessment, including examples.
- Make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely.
- Make sure you’ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help.
The World Scout Moot is a global event for Scouts and Guides aged 18 to 25. It's held every four years in different countries, bringing young people together to make new friends, discover new cultures and enjoy exciting adventures.
The next Moot will be held in Portugal in 2025. The event has three parts: a semi-independent expedition, a large camp with Scouts from around the world and a special experience after the main event. Portugal’s a beautiful country in Southern Europe, known for its fascinating history, stunning beaches and warm weather. This year’s participants will have the chance to explore Lisbon’s historic streets, relax by the sea and take part in outdoor activities, such as hiking and surfing.
Learn more about the 16th World Scout Moot.
Planning and setting up this activity
- You could have some examples of what the Galo de Barcelos looks like.
Running this activity
- Gather everyone together and ask if anyone knows what a famous symbol of Portugal is. (Hint: you may see it on the tables at Nando’s).
- Tell everyone that the colourful and famous symbol of Portugal is a rooster and it’s known as the Galo de Barcelos (the Rooster of Barcelos). It can be found in homes, businesses and on lots of souvenirs. The rooster represents hope and good luck.
- You may wish to tell everyone the folk tale or story behind Galo de Barcelos. You can find it on this page.
- Tell everyone that they’re going to make their own colourful Rooster of Barcelos, just like the one in the story. Using the template, everyone can decorate it with bright colours and patterns or make their own. The Rooster of Barcelos is known for its lively colours, so they should make their rooster as colourful as possible.
- Let people be as creative as they wish. They could use paint, chalk, colouring pencils, pastels, collage, stickers, tissue paper or something else.
- Once everyone has finished their roosters, give them a chance to share their designs with the group. You could put them on display, just like a gallery!
The folk tale of the Rooster of Barcelos is about a magical moment when a cooked rooster helped prove that an innocent man hadn’t done anything wrong. There are many different versions of the story, but they all share the same important message. Here’s one way it’s often told:
A long time ago, in a town called Barcelos in Portugal, something very strange and magical happened.
The townspeople were upset because someone had stolen some silver. They didn’t know who the thief was, so they started looking for someone to blame. One day, a man from a nearby place called Galicia was walking through Barcelos. He was on a special journey called a pilgrimage, heading to the city of Santiago de Compostela in Spain.
Even though the man said he hadn’t done anything wrong, the people didn’t believe him. They thought he had stolen the silver. So, they took him to the judge, who said the man would be hanged.
The man begged them to let him speak to the judge one last time. The guards agreed and brought him to the judge’s house, where the judge was having a big dinner with friends.
The man looked around the table and saw a cooked rooster ready to be eaten. He pointed at it and said, ‘I am telling the truth, and you’ll know it because that rooster will crow when they try to hang me.’
Everyone thought it was a silly thing to say, but the judge was curious. He didn’t eat the rooster, just in case.
Then, as the man was taken away to be hanged, something amazing happened. The roasted rooster suddenly stood up on the table and let out a loud, clear crow, just like the man had said it would!
The judge was shocked and realised he had made a terrible mistake. He rushed to the gallows, and, thankfully, the man was still alive because the rope had been tied badly. The judge stopped the hanging just in time and set the man free.
Years later, the man returned to Barcelos and built a beautiful stone cross, called the Lord of the Rooster, to thank the Virgin Mary and Saint James for saving his life. You can still see that monument today in the Archaeological Museum in Barcelos.
Reflection
This activity was all about learning the history and meaning behind the Galo de Barcelos, also known as the Portuguese Rooster, and creating our own colourful version of it. What did you think of the story? Had you heard it before? Can you think about where you may have seen the symbol before?
You had to decorate the roosters. What materials did you choose to use and why? Why did you design it like you did? What do you like about it? What do you like about someone else’s?
The rooster represents good luck, happiness and hope. Can you think of any other symbols that represent this? What are you hopeful for or wanting good luck for?
Safety
All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.
You must run your activities in line with the Safeguarding Code of Conduct for Adults (Yellow Card) and report any concerns to the UK HQ Safeguarding Team.
- Scissors
Supervise young people appropriately when they’re using scissors. Store all sharp objects securely, out of the reach of young people.
- Glue and solvents
Always supervise young people appropriately when they’re using glue and solvent products. Make sure there’s plenty of ventilation. Be aware of any medical conditions that could be affected by glue or solvent use and make adjustments as needed.
- Make sure equipment is accessible, like left-handed tools, thicker materials for easier grip, or tearing instead of cutting. Lay everything out so everyone can reach and move around easily.
- Print or write onto thicker card, or stick paper onto cardboard, to make items easier to hold.
- Some people may find scissors tricky. Offer different types, like left-handed, tabletop, loop, or easy-grip scissors. You could also tear instead of cut, or prepare pre-cut materials.
- Some people might not like touching certain textures or getting messy. No one should be forced to touch anything uncomfortable. They could wear gloves, use a tool instead, or do a different part of the activity. For example, if someone doesn’t want to do handprints with paint, they could paint with a brush or use stamps instead.
All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.
If you enjoyed this activity, try our other activities for Moot 2025, such as learning the Portuguese language.