978-1-4222-3296-5

A Calendar of Brazilian Festivals

city of Fortaleza. People begin arriving on the beach at noon from more than 150 nearby churches, and each congregation stakes out a particular piece of beach. By late afternoon the celebration is in full swing, with church members beating drums and chanting in their white-and-blue robes, or parading images of Iemanjá up and down the beach. September On the 7th of the month, Brazil marks Independence Day . On that date in 1822, Pedro I proclaimed Brazil’s independence from Portugal. October October 12, the feast day of Brazil’s patron saint, Nossa Senhora da Aparecida (Our Lady of Aparecida) is also the climax of the Amazon region’s largest annual festival. Held in Belém, it features a large procession in which crowds battle for the right to carry the “miracle car” holding the image of the Virgin. The church is decked out with lights, and bands play music nonstop. November On All Souls’ Day (November 2), Brazilians remember and pray for the souls of the departed. November 15 is Proclamation Day . It celebrates the proclaiming of the Brazilian republic in 1889. December On December 25, Brazilians, like Christians

everywhere, celebrate Christmas. On the 29th, the Festival of Jesus of

Navigators , held in Salvador and Aracaju, begins (it ends on January 1). The festival, which includes four days of music, dancing, feasting, and drinking, also features hundreds of small, wildly festooned boats off the beach in Salvador and on the Sergipe River in Aracaju.

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