* Irene's Country Corner * - Festas Juninas

 

     
 

© Irene.  Not for download.  Please, visit Graphics by Irene if you like this graphic.
 

 

Festas Juninas

 © Irene.  Not for download.  Please, visit Graphics by Irene if you like this graphic.

© Irene.  Not for download.  Please, visit Graphics by Irene if you like this graphic. 

The "Festas Juninas" (June Parties), are the joyous mid-winter festival days when the feasts of St. Anthony (Jun, 13), St. John (Jun, 24) and St. Peter (Jun, 29) are celebrated throughout the whole month of June all around Brazil, with traditional foods, games and dances. 

While these customs originated with the Portuguese, the foods associated with these holidays are based on native preparations such as baked sweet potatoes and corn-based dishes.

 

© Karen. Not for download. Please, visit Cute Countryside Graphics if you like this graphic.

 

Among the three June Saints, Saint John has the largest number of devotees. According to the popular faith, Saint John is the responsible for the harvest of corn and of a local kind of green beans that occur at that time. Even when no bountiful crops happen, Saint John is celebrated with a lot of faith and parties.

© Irene.  Not for download.  Please, visit Graphics by Irene if you like this graphic.

© Irene.  Not for download.  Please, visit Graphics by Irene if you like this graphic.

Campina Grande, the second largest city in the state of Paraíba, 116km from João Pessoa, the State capital, in northeastern Brazil, is one of those inland cities that preserve the cultural roots of their people and its "Festa Junina" is one of the most traditional and famous in the whole country. Since 1983 Campina Grande holds the greatest Saint John's party of the world and receives annually a flow of 1 million people in June.

   

 © Irene.  Not for download.  Please, visit Graphics by Irene if you like this graphic.

 

 

The epicenter of the Saint John's Party in Campina Grande is the People's Park, an area of 42.000 m2 which is filled with colorful barracks, balloons, lights and all ornaments necessary to compose the scenario of the Greatest Saint John's Party of the World.

 

Picture scanned from História e Músicas Brasileiras - Folia de Feijão.  São Paulo.  Ed.Abril, 1982

 

Caruaru, the commercial pole of Pernambuco's inland, in northeastern Brazil, attracts a large number of visitors every year during the June feasts. The city is known for preserving and divulging the northeastern popular culture. Caruaru is considered the capital of the "forró", a typical rhythm from northeastern Brazil, largely played during the June feasts.

I remember that when I was a child, these were my favorite feasts, and the school where I studied always provided the students a very beautiful party every year. We used to make everything, from decoration to the cooking of the many typical dishes served during the feast. Every class prepared a traditional dance to be performed to all students and their guests.

 

© Irene.  Not for download.  Please, visit Graphics by Irene if you like this graphic.

© Irene.  Not for download.  Please, visit Graphics by Irene if you like this graphic.

The place was decorated with colorful barracks, lights and all other ornaments that compose the scenario of the party. There were many bonfires, colorful balloons, games, such as fishing, where we won everything we could fish in a small pool filled with sand (they could be all kind of toys for children, such as dolls, plastic cars, boxes with pencils, etc) and many other entertainment for children and adults alike. 

 

© Irene.  Not for download.  Please, visit Graphics by Irene if you like this graphic.

© Irene.  Not available for download.

© Irene.  Not available for download.

 Here I am with a friend during a feast at school.
These are the typical clothes we use during these feasts.

 Here I am again, dancing the "quadrilha" with friends.
I'm the one with the blue dress.

 

© Irene.  Not for download.  Please, visit Graphics by Irene if you like this graphic.

 

The typical dance of these feasts is the "quadrilha". People form pairs and make a circle, then start to dance. Sometimes, they exchange partners, sometimes there are two circles, one with men and another with women, sometimes they form a kind of spiral, and there is always a person commanding the "quadrilha". It's really funny to dance it.

© Irene.  Not for download.  Please, visit Graphics by Irene if you like this graphic. © Irene.  Not for download.  Please, visit Graphics by Irene if you like this graphic. © Irene.  Not for download.  Please, visit Graphics by Irene if you like this graphic.

 

 

© Irene.  Not for download.  Please, visit Graphics by Irene if you like this graphic.

© Irene.  Not available for download.

© Irene.  Not available for download.

And here I am at home before going to a feast
at school when I was 6 years old.

And with my cousin (on the left)
during a feast at school when I was 9 years old.

 

© Irene.  Not for download.  Please, visit Graphics by Irene if you like this graphic.

 

Every "quadrilha" must have some particular characters: the bride, the groom and the priest. All other are dressed in very colored ragged clothes and everyone uses a straw hat. Most of the time the boys and men paint a moustache on their faces.

Picture scanned from História e Músicas Brasileiras - Folia de Feijão.  São Paulo.  Ed.Abril, 1982

 

Want to see the pictures I took in 2003 ?
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Pictures 2003

 

Obrigada Lu !

 

© Irene.  Not for download.  Please, visit Graphics by Irene if you like this graphic.

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This page was created on: January 24th 2002.
Last updated on: July 26th 2005.

Midi: Medley with traditional songs from Marilene Musica e Tecnologia.
Illustrations by Luís Camargo from the book História e
Músicas Brasileiras - Folia de Feijão. SP. Ed.Abril, 1982.
 

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