The June Festivals
The June Festivals are very popular in Brazil and are celebrated over the entire country. They
were introduced to Brazil by the Portuguese and have their origins in Christianity. Most people,
however, associate the June Festivals with the Brazilian Northeast and the dry season. During the month
of June and some parts of July, people gather together and hold parties in churches, parks and their
houses. These parties include lots of music, fun and food.
The Brazilian Northeast is an arid and semi-arid region of Brazil. Rain is very important in this
part of the country because it provides the water needed by the farmers of the region to produce food.
The June Festivals are an opportunity to thank St. John for the rain. St. John’s day is on June 24 and most
cities in the Northeast have very big parties on that day.
The June Festivals are also a celebration of Brazil’s rural life. The clothes people wear to the
parties, and the food and dancing, are all typical of Brazil’s countryside. The celebrations usually take
place outside under a natural roof made from straw. The men dress like farm boys in large straw hats
with jeans and boots. The women wear typical country dresses. Some women like to put pigtails in their
hair and freckles on their faces. A few men and women paint a gap tooth in their mouths. People do this
to have fun and to honor Brazil’s rural way of life.
The June Festivals are popular in all parts of Brazil and among all social classes. People come
together in cities and towns across the country to participate in this popular Brazilian tradition. The June
Festivals are as popular as the Carnival in the Northeast. Like the Carnival, people like to celebrate by
dancing, wearing special clothes, eating traditional food and watching displays, such as folk dancing,
firework displays and bonfires.
Comprehension
1. Who introduced the June Festivals to Brazil?__________________________________________
2. Which part of Brazil is the June Festivals most associated with? ___________________________
3. Where do people gather together?__________________________________________________
4. Which saint is celebrated?_________________________________________________________
5. What do the men wear during the June Festivals?______________________________________
6. What do the women wear?________________________________________________________
7. Are June Festivals only celebrated in the Northeast?____________________________________
8. Name some of the displays during the June Festivals?___________________________________
Writing
Write about your best or worst experience during a June Festival party. Where were you? Who were you
with? Why was it your best or worst experience? What happened?
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Discussion
1. What do you like about the June Festivals? What do you not like about them?
2. Describe your favorite June Festival food.
3. Do you like to dance?
4. Where do you usually celebrate?
5. Do you have a favorite place in Brasilia where you like to celebrate?
6. Does your family or school hold parties? Where did you celebrate when you were a child?
7. Did you dance in June Festival parties when you were a child?
8. What do you remember from the parties when you were a child?
9. What was the best June Festival party you went to?
10. Have you ever been to a June Festival in the Northeast?
11. The text mentions the Carnival. Which do you prefer, the June festivals or the Carnival? Why?