By Kyle Hedlund
Festa Junina is another of the many celebrations that mix pagan and Christian traditions into something more palatable for modern tastes (sacrificing virgins is so out of style these days). The name comes from a blend of St. John/João and the month of June/Junho, and the Brazilians have, of course, added their own spice to the mixture.
The festa is actually comprised of three separate occasions honoring saints Anthony, John, and Peter. The fun gets going on June 12th, the eve of St. Anthony‘s day, when single women not wanting to become spinsters ask good Antonio for help in finding a husband. No cause and effect studies have been done to see if St. Anthony is actually responsible for the success (or failure) rates of these requests. The festa winds down on St. Peter‘s day, June 29th. St. John‘s day is June 24th.
Whether you have kids or just a little cultural curiosity, you‘ll surely want to find a Festa Junina party in your neighborhood sometime this month. The one I dropped in on reminded me of a North American-style country fair without the Ferris wheel and other mechanical rides. What you will find at most neighborhood Festas Juninas are games, food, and family fun.
If you possess any empathy for furry critters, you might want to stay away from the "Coelho na Toca" (Rabbit in the Burrow) game I witnessed. This kiddie gambling amusement consisted of a frightened guinea pig (I didn‘t ask what happened to the rabbit) being slowly spun around while covered by a cowboy hat, then set free to stumble into one of six numbered little houses arranged in a circle around him. If he enters the house you bet on, you win a fabulous trinket. Other games were more humane. Kids could angle for wooden fish stuck in some sand; pin-the-tail-on-the-hand-drawn-donkey; or throw the ball into the cartoon clown‘s mouth.
Food at a Festa Junina ranges from the cotton candy and popcorn of my childhood to Brazilian churrasco and sweets. These are all washed down with Quentão (pinga with orange juice, sugar, spice, and everything nice), Vinho Quente (sweetened hot red wine), or more mundane potables. One word of caution: don‘t get excited over promises of caipirinhas at your local Festa Junina. They‘re not for sale, or consumption. In this case caipirinha refers to the small children running around dressed in country clothes and sporting freckles or moustaches.
The highlight of Festa Junina (at least for those not into Quentão or taking pictures of cute kids) is reputed to be the quadrilha. Though this country square dance makes for a toe-tapping good time, in a big city like São Paulo I think my favourite aspect of the evening was the sense of community and family atmosphere. Be on the lookout this weekend for the Festa Junina in your neighbourhood.
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