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If you missed out on Brazil’s Carnival in February, fear not—the month of June brings with it the festivities of Festa Junina. Though it may not have the huge parades and the samba that Carnival does, this Brazilian celebration still features costumes, traditional music and dance, typical foods and drinks, and a month’s worth of festivities.
Festa Junina, or the June Festival, is a Catholic tradition that was introduced to Brazil during the country’s colonisation by Portugal (from 1500 to 1822). Its events are based on the European Midsummer festivities, which celebrate the harvest and the saints, mainly Saint Anthony, Saint John the Baptist, and Saint Peter. Despite its religious origins, the emphasis of Festa Junina is on creating a large social gathering of dancing, drinking, and eating, especially in larger cities.
All of Brazil celebrates this annual event. The major cities have the largest celebrations, though individual events can be found in almost every neighborhood. These are held in different venues, from schools and churches to houses, bars, and event spaces. The largest festivities happen in the northeast of Brazil where the scale of celebrations is similar to Carnival.
Because this festival celebrates the harvest, events can take on a rural theme, as do the costumes, which resemble a typical countryside style and conjure images of farmers. Dancing is also an important part of the celebrations and is centered around the quadrilha, a typical Festa Junina dance accompanied by a music genre called forró.
There are different types of foods associated with Festa Junina and because it’s a family-friendly celebration, most schools host an event that’s open to the parents and families of the children, who put on performances and play typical games such as catching prizes with a fishing rod, running three-legged races, and participating in ring tosses. Some parties will include a bonfire, a tradition that is typical in the south of Brazil.
Typical food
The food of Festa Junina is comforting and uses local ingredients—as you would expect of dishes made in the countryside. Typical foods include bolo de fubá (corn cakes made from finely ground rice or corn flour), curau (corn mixed with condensed milk and peanuts, then topped with cinnamon), cocada de colher (shredded coconut mixed with condensed milk and butter), pé-de-moleque (a type of sweet treat made with hard toffee and peanuts), and paçoca (candy made out of crushed peanuts).
Typical drinks
The two most typical drinks are quentão (a hot drink made with cachaça, ginger, sugar, cloves, and cinnamon) and vinho quente, which is similar to mulled wine.
Source: 10 Things To Know About Festa Junina In Brazil (theculturetrip.com)