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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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A Calendar of Brazilian Festivals