Interesting Facts About the June Festivals

In June and July, many cities across the country prepare to celebrate the most typical event of the Brazilian winter: the June Festivals. According to the Ministry of Tourism, these celebrations are among the most popular in Brazil’s cultural calendar, coming in second only to Carnival. These festivals are enjoyed not only by Brazilians but also by many visitors who have a unique opportunity to learn about and experience a wide variety of traditional Brazilian rhythms and costumes.DecorationColorful costumes and fabric flags will immediately catch the attention of visitors and participants. Couples can join in the quadrilha, a local variation of a traditional dance from the 18th-century French elite known as quadrille. Nowadays, the costumes are a clear reference to rural Brazil in the 20th century. Many years ago, it was common to see huge colorful flags representing the three most popular Catholic saints celebrated in June: Saint Anthony, Saint John, and Saint Peter. These flags were immersed in water during an event known as the “washing of the saints.” The remaining water was then sprinkled on participants for their spiritual purification. These large flags can still be found in some regions of Brazil, but they have largely been replaced by colorful fabric flags that decorate squares and courtyards.CuisineThese festivals are also a great opportunity to try many typical Brazilian foods, most of which are made from corn, including pamonhas (a creamy Brazilian corn cake, similar to Mexican tamales or Chilean humitas) and canjica (a Brazilian white corn porridge). Another common ingredient for cakes and other treats is cassava, a starchy tuber very popular in South America. Other typical foods include pé-de-moleque (crunchy peanut candy) and cocada (a coconut candy made with milk). The most typical drink during this time of year is quentão, a hot drink made with wine or cachaça (sugarcane spirit), to be consumed very hot.HistoryThe June Festivals have European origins and were long ago incorporated into the Catholic calendar. Under folk traditions, the summer solstice (the longest day of the year) was often celebrated alongside the harvest season. Brazil decided to keep the same date, but since the country is in the Southern Hemisphere, it falls on the winter solstice – or the longest night of the year. There are specific events in honor of the main Catholic saints: Saint Anthony, Saint John, and Saint Peter. The celebration became so popular that it was also extended to the month of July.EventsThe largest festivals take place in Northeast Brazil. One of the most famous is Saint John’s Day in Campina Grande, in the state of Paraíba. The quadrilhas dance to the sound of forró, and the dancers wear costumes that remind us of rural life. To the sound of accordions, couples participate in the celebrations and enact a fictitious wedding – in fact, one of the couples dresses as a bride and groom from the countryside. A quadrilha master leads the dance, chanting traditional words and phrases.Source: brazil.gov.br