Festas Juninas!!

Festas Juninas are also know as “Festas de São João” in honor of Saint John the Baptist and are celebrated throughout Brazil. The festivities are more prominent in northeastern Brazil and begin in June, hence the name. Brazilian’s celebrate in typical rural clothing including straw hats, checkered shirts, and floral dresses. Some people even go as far as sporting fake freckles and missing teeth.

The party is also a celebration of matrimonial union, so square dancing, or “quadrilhas” are performed in pairs to represent married couples. 

There is also tons of delicious, typical foods including Tacacá, Tapioca, and Vatapá. Sometimes they set up a jail cell and charge to arrest and release people at the party. Fishing, bingo and raffles are other games played with live chickens as prizes.

 

My student, Telma, invited me to Praça da República on Sunday (check out my post on March 18th) to take part in an annual celebration as part of Festas Juninas in Belém known as “Arrastão do Pavulagem” in which a beautifully decorated bull puppet is carried along the streets of the city along with drummers and live music. Once the bull reaches Republic Square there is a live concert. The procession takes place on the second Sunday of June and it celebrates Paraense culture and spirit. The June parties are a huge part of northern Brazilian culture, and the people of Pará know how to party!