Week 55 - Festa de Junina

Oi familia!  This week’s got a ton of pictures because it was the long awaited Festa de Junina (June Festival) – or also known as the party where everyone finds different ways to cook corn.  I have been hearing stories about this Festa practically since the day I got here in Natal.  And boyyy, I wasn’t disappointed in the slightest (although I wasn’t able to stay in the Interior – Mossoro where it’s apparently WAY bigger).  I’m going to be completely honest and say that I have NO idea what exactly we are celebrating, but right now on every street corner and in front of every 5^th casa you can find blazing bonfires that the locals have built on the sidewalk.  “DontKnowWhatThey’reBurningButItsNotTheTypeOfSmellYouWantOnYourClothes&Hair  

The huge festa they throw is composed of this type of music they call forro (specific songs and folk dances – the songs originated from farmers and workers who would sing to the cows, each other and the crops as they harvested sugarcane, corn, vegetables etc) and have a quadrilha (which is like line dancing that tells a story) and Mesas Cheias de comida (tables full of food).

Sis Colleoni and Sis Silva

To give you an idea, some of the foods typical for this festa include but are not limited to cuscus tempurado (has the texture and appearance of rice but is straight corn that they put chopped sauteed onions, tomatoes, cilantro, sausage, scrambled eggs, garlic and salt served hot)  #NewFavoriteFood, arroz doce (kind of like rice pudding with cinnamon on top), canjica (this sweet creamy corn pudding also with cinnamon on top), corn bread (which they call bolo de milho), bolo de macaxerra (which is a starch we don’t have in the US but is in the same family as potatoes), pipoca (popcorn), corn on the cob and as always coca-cola and fresh suco (juice) made from the native tropical fruits they have here.

Now for the quadrilha – the youth here get all dolled up with traditional Nordestina clothing – tons of bright colors, plaid and brightly checkered fabrics, straw hats for the boys and braids and ribbons for the girls.  It’s been such a long time since I’ve done something like hair with my hands that it took like 40 minutes to do the first girl’s hair, but ficou bonita a gente (It was beautiful people)

In the quadrilha, it’s like this type of line dance that tells the story of a bride and groom at their wedding feast and you have all of the girls on one side and all of the boys on the other side and the girls start, one girl grabbing a broom and sweeping and dancing in front of 2 boys.  She will throw the broom to one boy and then dance with the other.  He then sweeps while they dance and then he gives the broom to another girl who repeats the process.  It makes for some drama and suspense… i.e. the girls choosing the 12 year old boy instead of the 17 year old.  Girls refusing to enter the middle to dance etc.  It was seriously so funny.

And it was cool because we had a ton of people we’ve been teaching that came, mingling with todo mundo (everyone), laughing and having fun, eating corn in all its forms.  Man I love how the gospel brings people together from all different types of backgrounds and just makes them happy.  I felt really truly happy this week – and let me tell you – com certeza tinha its dificuidades (of course it had its difficulties).

My Brazilian sisters

There was a member this week that after we said that we had already been companions said “aah, toda vez que voce repete companheiras, e porque wee ainda neto aprendeu a que voce precisava a primeira vez.”  (Every time you repeat companions. It’s because you didn’t learn what you needed to the first time.)  And I think I’m beginning to figure out what it is that Heavenly Father wants me to understand.  

Sending my love,
Sister Staheli

I made a balloon animal

Natal sunset

Natal rain