June Fest is a popular celebration that Brazilians look forward to it all year long. The party takes place throughout the month of June and is characterized by its little details that make all the difference, such as typical foods, dances and games. It’s practically impossible to meet any one in the country who has never had fun at a school’s, family’s or neighborhood church’s June Fest.
This year, the pandemic took everyone by surprise and forced us to change our schedules, postponing and canceling events and appointments. At the beginning of the quarantine, we had the hope that in that month we would have returned to our normal life, however here we are and the old reality seems more and more distant. In Brazil, the numbers of contaminated and dead people are increasing every day and the moment calls for us, more than ever, to keep ourselves at home and safe.
Considering the critical situation experienced by the country, there is no possibility of the traditional event being held in a conventional way, in public and with agglomeration. But nothing prevents you from celebrating in your home with the people who live with you. That’s why we’ll show you how to have a June Fest at home, in safety and respecting social isolation.
- Typical foods and drinks
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The most delicious part – literally – of this celebration is enjoying foods and drinks. Its varied menu, with sweets and savouries, pleases all people and tastes. We have many options and the foods vary from region to region in the country, but some of them can not be missing in any June Fest, they are: green corn, Brazilian pinion, typical sweets like “pé-de-moleque”, “canjica”, cake of corn and a national drink called “quentão”. Now that you have the list of foods required for a good June Fest, search the recipe and buy whatever you need to make a delicious menu.
- Clothing and costumes
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This is undoubtedly one of the most fun parts of June Fest. To get into the mood, it’s very important that everyone is well characterized, as tradition asks. In the big urban centers, people dress like sertanejos or caipiras, which has become the trademark of the celebration. Usually, women dress in floral print dresses, with strong colors, frills, lace and puffed sleeves. Make-up is also an essential part of production, traditional freckles drawn on the cheek and red lipstick cannot be missing. For men, the outfit is a plaid shirt, patchwork pants, scarf on the neck and a moustache designed with eye pencil. And last but not least, everyone must wear the straw hat and boot.
Almost every Brazilian has at home an outfit used in the party. This is the time to reuse it and, if you don’t have any, you can customize your regular clothes at home and without much trouble.
- Decoration
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A June Fest is not a June Fest without the typical decoration, with vibrant colors, flags and balloons. This part is extremely simple and possible to do at home. Usually, recyclable and reusable materials are already used to compose the decoration. Now, especially in quarantine, is the best option. To do this, just gather all the necessary materials and research the best way to use them.
Normally, at the end of the celebration, people light a bonfire that, besides characterizing, gives an extra joy and brings even closer the people there. At home, it is recommended that we do not light a fire, because that can be very dangerous. However, we can recreate one artificially with colored paper.
- Music
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The music is the icing on the cake of all the preparation. The good selection of a playlist guarantees the animation of all those present and helps us get into the mood. Sounds with a brazilian country by rhythm, known as “sertanejo”, with a lot of accordion, are the most famous ones.
- Dance
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A good June Fest should have a “quadrilha” in its schedule. The dance should be done in pairs and both people should be characterized with the typical costumes. An animator dictates the phrases of the respective steps and actions, then the participants must submit to the established movements and choreographies. “Look at the rain!”, “look at the snake! It’s a lie!” and “the bridge broke” are three of the most popular phrases.
At home, even with a few people, it is possible to recreate the atmosphere of a good quadrilha, with your relatives, repeat the steps and choreography of a traditional quadrilha. If you don’t have someone to play the role of animator, what is not missing in youtube are videos and audios of the main lines.
- Games
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June Fest has several options of games, especially for children, and many of them are worth small prizes as a plate of typical food or a souvenir. The most famous and easy to recreate at home is the “Correio Elegante” (elegant mail), where people send messages, mostly anonymous, to a special person, with declarations of love and praise.
- Video call with family and friends
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One of the best parts of any celebration is being close to the people you love. But right now, the most important thing is to stay home and safe, as well as our friends and family. Fortunately, technology allows us to be close, even when apart. When you’ve finished organizing everything, make a group video call with your family and friends, and ask them to be characterized to make everything more real.
If your “guests” can’t recreate the setting of a good June Fest, there are platforms like Microsoft Teams that have created features to change the background and they can take decoration photos of a June Fest and put in their backgrounds.
Have fun and stay safe!
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The article above was edited by Gabriela Sartorato.
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