Festa Junina

After Carnival, Festa Junina is the most important popular celebration in Brazilian culture. 

This June Festival is a Catholic tradition that was brought to Brazil in the 16th century, when the country was a colony of Portugal. 

By tradition, the June festival consists of celebrating the good results of the harvest and also asking the next planting to bring good results. St. John is the patron saint of harvests and celebrates with his followers: St. Anthony and St. Peter. 

The stores naturally make the most of this month-long party.

 

Everyone has their own way of celebrating. 

This is how the Mormons do it.😐  

First off, you all dress up like farmers! Whiskers and freckles are added to the kids. Pigtails are a must. Oh yes, and straw hats! 

The cultural hall was also fancied up with small colored flags hanging everywhere.

The kids played games and got prizes. 

Everyone ate and ate and ate.

As June is the month when corn crops are harvested, the majority of sweet and savory snacks and cakes are made of corn - broa de fubá (Brazilian corn cake 👍), canjica (hominy and coconut milk in a soup 👎), cooked corn, popcorn, cural (corn pudding 👍), pamonha (a paste made from sweet corn wrapped in corn husks and boiled 👎) - and other goodies - sweet rice, pinhōes (those big pine nuts), peanut brittle, pineapple cake, carrot cake, hot dogs, and much more.

And, of course, you must have quentão. This is a hot drink (to warm your insides - remember - we're in the middle of winter down here!) made with cooked ginger in water, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and - for us Mormons - grape juice. I guess you could call it a Brazilian wassail. 👍👍

Another way to warm up is to have a big bonfire. Our church is in the middle of the city. They frown of bonfires in the middle of the city, so the cake (below) was a good substitute. 

Next - the quadrilha. This is a traditional dance that has kind of a square dance feel because there is a guy calling the dance steps, but the dancers wind their way around the hall, then do a kind of line dance thing, then weave in and out of each other. It can go on for a very long time but it is enjoyed by both the young and the old.

Happy Festa Junina, Everyone!