Rio - Brazil -Bonfire Festival -June

This is a New World twist on an old European tradition. In Mediterranean countries, the Fiesta de San Juan (Saint John) falls on the summer solstice, and is celebrated with bonfires. The party city of Rio extends this June festival to include Saint Anthony and Saint Peter as well. On three separate evenings, in private homes and clubs right across Rio, in the streets, squares and public places, stalls are set out to resemble village market places and are decorated with streamers and lanterns. Against the glow of bonfires there is much dancing, eating and drinking. In mock weddings, couples follow the old tradition of leaping the flames. All this takes place against a fairly continuous crackle and flash of fireworks.

“Festas Juninas” are as popular as Carnival. It should be noted that, like for Carnival, these festivities involve costume-wearing (in this case, peasant costumes), dancing, drinking, and visual spectacles (fireworks display and folk dancing). Like the original European Midsummer celebrations, during the two-week June festivities in Brazil, bonfires are lit. They can be seen everywhere in Brazil.