Festa Junina

Festa Junina is why there has been constant fireworks most nights since we got here, which sounds like it is especially big in Northeast Brazil. Tomorrow is the day celebrating John the Baptist and there is some tradition that insists that people keep bonfires burning all night long tonight. We went for a walk to Sandro's house which is close to here and saw fires all down the street. If you are looking at the weather network bar beside this post, it currently says "Smoke" for the weather.

Festa Junina
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Festa Junina (Junine Party), typically termed São João (Saint John's) as it is centered on that saint's day, is the name of annual Brazilian celebrations (historically related to the Midsummer and Saint John festivities in Europe) which take place in the beginning of the Brazilian winter, consequently during the European summer. These festivities, which were introduced in the country by the Portuguese during the colonial period (1500-1822), are celebrated in the whole country, but are particularly associated with Northeastern Brazil. The feast is mainly celebrated on the eves of the Catholic solemnities of Saint Anthony, Saint John the Baptist, and Saint Peter.

As Northeastern Brazil is largely arid or semi-arid these popular festivals not only coincide with the end of the rainy seasons of most states in the northeast but they also provide the people with an opportunity to give thanks to Saint John for the rain. They also celebrate rural life and feature typical clothing, food, dance (particularly quadrilha, which is similar to square dancing). Like Midsummer and Saint John's Day in Portugal and Scandinavian countries, São João celebrates marital union. The "quadrilha" features couple formations around a mock wedding whose bride and groom are the central attraction of the dancing.

Like during Carnival, these festivities involve costume-wearing (in this case, peasant costumes), dancing, drinking, and visual spectacles (fireworks display and folk dancing). Like the original European Midsummer celebrations, during the two-week June festivities in Brazil, bonfires are lit. They can be seen everywhere in northeastern cities.

São João coincides with the corn harvest. Special dishes served during São João are made with corn, such as canjica, pamonha and brazilian cuscuz. Dishes may also include peanuts, potatoes, sausages and rice. The celebrations are very colorful and festive and include amazing pyrotechnics. Bonfires and fire in general are thus one of the most important features of these festivities, a feature that is among the remnants of Midsummer pagan rituals in the Iberian Peninsula.