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January |
» 1st - New Year's Day, 6th - Epiphany |
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Festival of Lavagem do Bonfim (on the 2nd Thursday of January annually)
All meet at the Church of Conceição da Praia, Rio, and at 10:00am begin the 10km procession to the Church of Bonfim for the ritual washing.
Vendors sell of the ribbons of the Church of Bonfim which most visitors to Bahia come back adorned with. The tying of the ribbon on the wrist is said to grant the wearer three wishes which come true by the time the ribbon falls off.
The day attracts tens of thousands of people & encorporates beautiful flowers and beads, scented water, delicious food & great music. |
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February |
» February or March (4 days prior to Ash Wednesday) - CarnIval |
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Salvador's Carnival is the most popular festival in Brazil. More popular than that of Rio de Janeiro, the six-day long festival attracts an estimated 2 million people. Some 5,000,000 litres of beer, 3,000,000 litres of soft drink, 2,000 tons of sandwiches and 300 tons of ice cream are consumed! The 162 Carnaval groups parade on different locations simultaneously; including the Historic Center, Campo Grande and the Avenida, and Barra / Ondina.
Unlike the Carnaval of Rio where Samba Schools parade, in Salvador everyone is welcome to parade with their favorite group; all you need to do is buy a costume. The costume also grants you the right to parade inside the corded-off area around the bloco, where it is much safer than on the streets.
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Festa de Yemanjá (celebrated every year on February 2nd).
Dedicated to the Yoruban Goddess of the Ocean, the festivites start at dawn around Rio Vermelho beach with fireworks. Then 100's of people, all dressed in white, line up outside the temporary shack erected to hold the gifts to Yemanjá. Inside the shack, the "main gift" is a statue made of either silver or bronze of the goddess admiring herself in a hand held mirror.
At around 4:00 pm, all wait to witness the yearly spectacle. The fishermen's boats are filled with the baskets. The "main gift" arrives and passes everyone on her way to the shore.
Once the boats leave, people party to live music on the streets until dawn.
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March |
» March or April - Easter |
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April |
» 21st - Tiradentes Day |
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May |
» 1st - May Day |
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June |
» Corpus Christi |
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Festa do Divino Folklore Festival , ParatyAvitrim Open World Championship , Barra da Tijuca (Bird Breeders Exhibition)June Bonfire Festivals These Festivals are one of the most appealing aspects of Brazilian Folklore. Throughout the month, Rio's streets & squares are filled with dancing and stalls offering seasonal delicacies. Square-dancing & a mock country wedding take place by the light of bonfire & fireworks.
Festivities are centered on the feasts of St.Anthony (13th), St.John (24th) & St.Peter (29th). |
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September |
» 7th - Independence Day |
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October |
» 2nd - Our Lady of Aparecida Day |
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November |
» 2nd - All Souls' Day, 15th - Proclamation Day |
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December |
» 25th - Christmas Day |
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DECEMBER - MARCH |
The best time to visit Salvador , the capital of Bahia , is in the summertime, between the months of December and March. At this time the city is on fire with religious, folk, and popular festivals all filled with music, food, drinks, água de cheiro (perfumed water), flowers, dancing and happiness.
Almost every weekend in this time frame there is either a lavagem (ritual washing of a church which culminates into a party) or a Candomblé `beating of the drums' (a ceremony in the Nigerian Yoruba religion of Candomblé).
The three most popular festivals are: Lavagem of the Church of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim, (see JANUARY) , Festa of Yemanjá, (see FEBRUARY) and of course, Carnaval . |
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