Festas Juninas
When it is summer in Europe, it is winter in Brazil. Nevertheless, the ancient European Midsummer celebrations still survive in the Brazilian Festas Juninas (June Festivals). The Midsummer celebrations had already been given a Christian meaning when Europe was Christianised and these celebrations crossed the Atlantic under a Catholic flag. As has been the case with other Catholic celebrations (e.g. Carnival!), the poor, red, Brazilian clay appeared to be a fertile soil for festivals. At nowadays, no less than 3 Festas Juninas are celebrated: Santo Antônio (Saint Anthony, June 13), São João (Saint John, June 24) and São Pedro (Saint Peter, June 29).
Still, there are many similarities between the Festas Juninas and their pagan predecessors. The Midwinter celebrations took place around the day on which the sun reaches its highest point in the Northern hemisphere. This is around the 21st of June. As this was just before the harvest of many European crops, the Midwinter celebrations included many rituals that were intended to ensure a good harvest. In the North East of Brazil, drought often threatens crop, livestock and humans. The people of this region thank Saint John for the rain that fell on their fields during the last growing season. Big São João celebrations are typical of this region where it is the largest street celebration after Carnival. As the Festas Juninas happen after the maize harvest, many of the festival's typical dishes are based on maize. Bonfires are another characteristic that the Brazilian Festas Juninas have in common with European Midsummer celebrations.
The people who take part of a Festa Junina are often dressed like peasants. Men wear plaid shirts and red handkerchiefs, women wear colourful dresses and pony tails. Straw hats are worn by both sexes, make up is often used to make up moustaches for men or red cheeks for women. A typical dance during the Festas Juninas is the Quadrilha that resembles square dance. Usually, the Quadrilha is preceded by a satiric role play. The general theme of this role play is a country boy who is forced to marry a pregnant country girl. He tries to escape a number of times and as a result, the pregnant girl cries out loudly. However, his angry father-in-law is armed with an antique gun and does not allow him to escape. He marries the girl at gun point. The details of this role play differ and these details are often a parody of the local society. For example, the priest who celebrates the wedding can´t keep his eyes off the bride and insinuations are made that he is the actual father of the unborn child. A wedding dance starts as soon as the drunken country boy has married the pregnant girl. It is the Quadrilha! The people don't dance it in the beautiful, sensual way Brazilians usually dance. They dance it as funny, as clumsy and as “rural” as possible. This way, all people at the party become part of the role play.
As Brazil is a large country, there are many regional differences. In São Paulo, the Festas Juninas are often accompanied by a fun fair (“quermesse”). The large street festival during São João is typical for the Northeast of Brazil. A characteristic of the Festas Juninas in the Amazon region is Bumba-meu-boi. The farce of Bumba-meu-boi is performed as both a satiric dance and a folk opera. It is a parody of the relation between slaves or rural poor and rich landowners. In this farce, the poor peasant Pai Chico (Father Chico) steals an ox because his pregnant wife Caterina develops a strange craving for ox tongue. The rich farmer finds out what happened and finds the dead ox. However, the ox is mysterically cured and after hearing the reasons for the theft, the rich farmer forgives Caterina and Chico. When the ox rises, the public shouts "Bumba, meu boi" (Dance, ox!). The Festival Folclórico de Parintins is a large festival that is centered around the bumba-meu-boi farce. This festival is celebrated in the city of Parintins on the island of Ilha Tupinambarana in the Amazon river, in the extreme east of the Amazonas state. It attracts tens of thousands of visitors at the end of June. The population of the city of Parintins is divided in two groups who rival with each other, one group supporting the Boi Azul (blue ox) called Caprichoso and the other group supporting the Boi Vermelho (Red Ox) called Garantido. The dance that brings the ox back to life takes place the Bumbudrómo, a stadium in which fit 35000 people.
Santo Antônio has a special place among the Festas Juninas. St. Anthony is the patron saint of marriage. On June 12, the day before Santo Antônio, the Brazilians celebrate Dia dos Namorados (Day of the Lovers). This is the Brazilian version of Valentine's Day. June 13th is a popular day for wedding sermons as Brazilians believe that it brings luck if you get married on this day.
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