Brazilian
June Feasts - Festas Juninas
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Every
year, during the months of June and July, people have lots of
fun during the "Festas Juninas". I remember that I
loved to dance the "quadrilha", a typical dance of
these feasts, when I was a child and the there was always a big
feast for children and parents in the school where I studied. |
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Girls
normally wear pony tails and straw hats and use make up to create
very red cheeks and freckles and boys use make up to create a
fake mustache. They also wear a straw hat and jeans pants with
colored patches on it. |
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Here
I am on the right (when I was 6 years old) with a school friend,
dressed in typical costumes to dance the "quadrilha". |
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The best festivities
happen in small cities, located in the countryside, or in the
northeast of Brazil. These "festas juninas" are festivities
in honor of Saint Anthony (June, 13), St. John (June, 24) and
St. Peter (June 29). They happen not only in June, but are also
extended to July in some places. The typical dishes of these
feasts are based on corn, sweet potatoes, peanuts and sausage. |
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Below
are some pictures I took in 2004 to show you a little bit more
about this very popular feast. |
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This
is a typical June Feast barrack for selling food. This one had
"salsichão" (a kind of sausage, servelled grilled
with "farofa", toasted manioc flour) and "queijo
coalho" (a kind of cheese that is served grilled too).
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There
are other barracks with games for children too. They can win
toys, such as balls, plastic cars, coloring pencils, books, dolls
and other kinds of small toys. |
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Some
typical food served in a "festa junina". Quindim, a
kind of pie made with egg yolks and coconut (the yellow ones
in the picture), "pé-de-moleque", made with
peanuts (the brown squares in the box behind the cake on the
left), carrot cake, cassava cake, and so many other delicious
food. Hungry ? |
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Here
are some more food...these are sweets made of pumpkin, coconut
and sweet potatoes. |
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