The Way to The Field

Brazil is a country well known for its entertainment and parties, and Festa Junina- a whole festival during June, is my favorite. This party was brought by the Portuguese in the 16th century, during the transition from spring to summer, to celebrate the summer solstice. It was intended to celebrate this time to ward off evil spirits and pests from reaching the harvest. It also coincides with three Catholic saint’s days - Saint John, Saint Anthony and Saint Pedro. Festa Junina is still huge and very lively in Brazil.  There is no doubt Brazilians know how to make a warm and unforgettable party with a lot of traditional food, dance and decoration. Even if the Brazilian community manages to keep the high spirits of the festivity in different countries, I still miss celebrating in my home country.

The whole country of Brazil celebrates this festival, so some aspects may be different between some regions. However, the food is traditional everywhere, and the dishes for me are the best part. The main ingredient of almost all the food is corn, because the harvest is in June in South America, and there is a feeling of gratitude from the satisfactory harvest that is celebrated at this time of the year. Although the corn in the U.S. is sweet, I had never heard that sweet corn was real. For this reason, to prepare some salivary dishes in the U.S. requires a little more seasoning. What is not a big deal for the Brazilian community, that did a great job doing the recipes in the Festa Junina that I attended in Chicago. Certainly some ingredients that can only be found in Brazil were not available, but that did not prevent the food from being delicious. I found my favorites dishes and came back home with a lot of leftovers. 

The moment of the dance, quadrilha is super popular during the festival. The quadrilha dance has European origin, and the purpose is to give thanks for the harvest and to celebrate the saints of June. It is a typical country dance from France, and it was modified over time by Brazilians. It has some steps to be followed and tells a story - the way to the field. The dance is in pairs, and it doesn't matter who is the partner because everybody is there to have fun together.  The time that I attended a Festa Junina in Chicago was in a Brazilian community church. I didn't know anyone, but when the music started to play, I couldn’t stay out. It was in a small Catholic church with some American people, partners of the Brazilians. They had the traditional songs playing during the party and the big dance. I felt so good there, I was so happy with my Brazilian friends.  That made the day cozy, feeling at home.

Another memorable symbol of Festa Junina is the decoration, which includes  small flags, a bonfire and balloons. I remember that in Chicago they decorated the space, but not too much. They didn't have a bonfire, and not everybody was wearing typical clothes.  Every part of the decoration and traditional clothes  has a specific meaning, making reference to the old days. Instead of the large flags of the saints, they were represented by the small colored flags. The bonfire represents the birth of Saint John and celebrates the beginning of summer solstice in Europe. The balloons in the past served to communicate when the party was going to start. Nowadays in Brazil, this practice is not allowed anymore, so it is represented with miniature balloons. As all the origins are European, costumes were more refined in the past, even the peasants wore their best clothes. Even over the years the dress code usually references the original clothes, as the dresses with ruffles, marked waist and for mens shirts and hats.

Even knowing that I can find this celebration in the US with these three elements, I still miss

the warmest atmosphere from Brazil. Even though the festival is not necessarily Brazilian, the

country has kept the tradition, and it is one of the greatest symbols of the culture. It makes me

so proud when I see that the Brazilian community keeps it alive abroad. I feel that it doesn't

matter where I am, because I celebrate this beautiful time with some close friends and find my

way to the field which is my connection to my origins.