Popular Festivals of Brazil
Carol Mendes
Translation by Ann Fain
Brazil is generally known by tourists for its
beautiful paradise beaches, beauty of its
women and contagious excitement of carnival.
But the country has so much more to offer. In
this article we are going to talk about “Popular
Brazil”, or more specifically, the popular festivals
of Brazil.
Brazilians are festive people and throughout
the year they have innumerable popular and
folkloric festivals. If these events were presented
to the whole world, they would attract many
tourists. In order to make its readers feel more
a part of the culture, Soul Brasil is going to talk
about some of these events in this edition.
Before carnival and more precisely from
Christmas Eve until January 6 (the date that
the Three Kings visited Jesus), the majority
of the cities on the interior of the country are
consumed with the spectacle of cultural beauty
and religion known as Folia de Reis or “Three
King’s Day.” Homes in the regions of São Paulo,
Espírito Santos, Minas Gerais, Bahia, among
others, open their doors to receive a visit from
a “reisado”, which is a popular folkloric dance
of Portuguese origin. This is a group of people
comprised of instrumentalists, singers, dancers,
clowns and other folkloric figures who
chant verses about the Three Kings’ visit to
Christ and various other themes. In contrast to
Popular Festivals of Brazil Carol Mendes Translation by Ann Fain
the tradition of the King’s, the purpose of the
Folia is not to bring gifts, but to receive them.
The host must offer some food to the group,
with a genuine kindhearted purpose, to thank
them for their chanting.
One of the most expressive legacies given to
the Brazilian people is not from the Portuguese,
the colonizers of Brazil, but from the first
Azoreans who arrived in Brazil in 1748, and can
be observed in the strong religious culture of
the Festa do Divino or “Festival of the Holy
Ghost”, which is commemorated in practically
every song in the country. With a sung mass,
processions, caring actions to collect money
and folkloric manifestations particular to each
region, the Festival of the Holy Ghost lasts approximately
10 days, always ending it’s festivities
on the Sunday of Pentecost (seven weeks
after Passover, the day when the Holy Spirit
descended on the Apostles.)
Another Portuguese inheritance we have is the
Círio de Nazaré or “Wax Candle of Nazaré”,
famous for being the biggest procession in the
world. The meeting of more than 2 million
faithful takes place in the city of Belém in Pará,
on the second Sunday of October. Musical presentations,
dances, lighting of wax votive candles,
and making promises are only some characteristics
of this event. The great attraction of
the festival that gives origin to its name is the
lighting of the wax candle, an immense candle
that is lit during the festival of the church. The
wax candle pays homage to a Portuguese saint
that saved two lives: that of a Portuguese nobleman
who was about to fall from his horse, and
of a hunter in the Amazonian Forest.
Religious Festivities in Brazil do not only happen
in the churches. During the month of June
homage is paid to three saints: Saint Anthony
(also known as the marriage saint), Saint John,
and Saint Peter. It is held in a special place and
commemorated with colorful flags, fireworks
that illuminate the sky, typical foods made of
corn and coconut and livened up by the sound
of the zabumba (drum), a triangle and concertina
that compose the rhythm of forró (style of
music found in northern Brazil). The festivities is
commemorated in all Northeast region, but not
much intense than Campina Grande in the
state of Paraiba and Caruaru in the state of Pernambuco.
In Caruaru – “The Capital of Forro”,
you can take time to enjoy “Auto of Moura” (considered
by UNESCO the biggest center of figurative
arts in the Americas), Park 18 of May (where
the famous Fair of Caruaru is help – the largest
outdoor fair in the world), Patio of Luiz Gonzaga
Events (Gonzaga is a famous Forró artist and
they have Forró events at night), and “Drilhas”
(musical groups) that took to the streets of Caruaru
during the time of Saint John (the Forró
transmits through the innumerable electric trios
that command the party). For the foreigner, it is
like visualizing Carnival in Salvador/Bahia, but
in Caruaru it is the rhythm of the Forró.
But we don’t only have religious parties in
Brazil – after all, the natural wealth and our
rich folklore also must be celebrated. More
prominent in the months of June and July, but
without exact dates and times, the states in the
Northern Region and in Maranhão (Northeast)
celebrate a tradition that has existed since the
eighteenth century: Festa do Boi Bumba
or the Party of the Bumba – My Ox. The folkloric
concept is a popular opera, where groups
of people present fantasies, sing and dance, in
order to resurrect the social and economic relations
of the colonial period, mainly marked by
slavery and growth of cattle.
Speaking of cattle, there is one festival in the
North of the country, in the Amazon, that celebrates
the ox and has been taking place since
the end of June 1965. The Folkloric Festival
of Parintins that paints the city in two colors:
red, representing the defensive ox and blue,
representing the whimsical ox. The festival is
an open-air presentation that takes place in
the “Bumbódromo”, a stadium replicating the
head of ox. During three nights approximately
35 thousand spectators attend a spectacle that
portrays the “dispute” between the two oxen
with much thematic wealth and beauty exploring
regional legends, and aboriginal rituals and
customs, which are aided by extras, allegories
and playacting.
Continuing on the Brazilian agricultural side,
the Festa de Peão Boiadeiro or “Party of
Laborer Ox-Driver”, has taken place in Barretos,
in the state of São Paulo, since 1956. The
biggest rodeo on the planet features the laborers
who participate in bull riding competitions,
a gastronomic fair and shows and expositions
of famous Brazilian artists.
We cannot forget to talk about one of most famous
drinks manufactured in Brazil and a “particular
brand” of the country: the “cachaça”.
Paraty, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, hosts
the Festival of Cachaça that celebrates the
liquor manufactured in the city since colonial
times. The city transforms into a type of “Expo
of Cachaça”, where the import and exporting
makers of the drink make gifts and where
the people who appreciate the drink have the
chance to try various varieties and also enjoy
the rich regional cuisine.
To show that Brazil is a country free of preconceptions,
the Gay Pride Parade has taken place
in the city of São Paulo since 1997. It is cheeky
parade with the participation of the “GLS” community
(gays, lesbians and sympathetic) and
the general public. Functioning as a thematic
manifestation of politics, the movement brings
visibility to the rights of the lesbians, gays, bi
and/or transsexuals. The parade became a
thundering success and today it is considered
the largest Gay Pride Parades in the world. It
also brings millions of dollars into the city, because
of the increasing number of foreign tourists
who participate in the parade. The tremendous
success of Gay Pride Parade of Sao Paulo,
made other cities in Brazil such as Recife and
Rio de Janeiro, years later, implement the same
party & parade idea in favor for sexual diversity.
To celebrate the arrival of the New Year, cities
as Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Florianópolis,
Forlaleza and Recife prepare spectacles of fireworks,
animation and a lot of positive energy.
The tradition is to wear all white and go barefooted
down to the seaside carrying white flowers.
At midnight everyone throws the white
flowers into the ocean to celebrate the start
of a new year. These events are open party to
the public, free of preconceptions and beliefs,
and filled with fabulous music, much fellowship,
friendship and good thoughts for the year.
Without a doubt this is one of the most popular
parties of Brazil!
No matter what the time of year, Brazil will always
have a festive event occurring and its arms
open to welcome the tourists who want to enjoy
and learn about the culture and folklore of the
tropical country
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