Festa Junina 2015

What the heck is Festa Junina?

I was asking myself this very question until I sat down and did some 'Googling' to figure it out.

Here's what I found (in summary):
Festa Junina (can be known as festa São João) is a HUGE PARTY celebrating Saint Anthony, Saint John the Baptist, and Saint Peter for their various parts in The Nativity and in bringing rain and good crops to the farmers. This party originated mostly in the rural and country areas where farming is prevalent. 

There is a lot of emphasis on quadrilha, which is similar to square dancing; and country-western type foods like corn, BBQ, sweets and popcorn.

People dress up in countryside garb, and may blacken a tooth or two to complete the look. Additional costume looks are pigtails, freckles, real cowboy looking clothes and definitely a cowboy hat and boots. One of the quadrilha dances involves a bride and groom, while others are coupled up to dance around the happy couple. 

At the school, it's a BIG party with the PTA having it as their biggest fundraiser of the year. The food was absolutely delicious and worth every minute of waiting in line. Nothing like having your Brazilian Meat on a Stick at a school function! With that beautiful BBQ smell wafting through the air...who could ask for more?!

Each grade has a special dance and works on it for about 2 months before this event. It is a serious deal around here. 

Which is what will make our videos and pictures even more entertaining.

 * One of our kids doesn't move a lick. Just stands and cries.
 * One is in a frilly dress which she hasn't worn since she was old enough to put her own clothes on. AND she nails the dance number too!
 * One is dancing her heart out and waving around a pink cowboy hat like she does this kind of stuff all the time.

In other words, it was a TOTALLY AWESOME DAY!


Charlotte Dancing Wonderfully!
She has on a beautiful purple and teal dress, about center screen.
At the end of the last video, Char is asked to go grab her parent and bring them to the dance floor to dance with them. AARON ROCKED IT OUT! Unfortunately, my phone was full at that point and I couldn't capture the amazing dance moves that Aaron and Char were sporting. :( Suffice to say, the two of them looked AMAZING!


Max NOT Dancing :)
You can see he is the little boy on the far left side.




Izzy's Beautiful Dancing
Izzy is on the center right of your frame with a pink cowboy hat and teal plaid shirt. (The video on my phone is far from ideal. Just another reminder of a purchase I'll be making back in The States this July... :) )





Regular photos for your enjoyment. :)