In June, the members of the CLM in São Paulo and Petrópolis (Brazil) celebrated the traditional Festa Junina, organized by the Christian Life Movement (CLM). The event included games, music and traditional food, offering moments of community and fun for all attendees.
What is Festa Junina?
The Festa Junina is one of the most beloved celebrations in Brazil, held throughout the month of June in honor of three saints: Saint Anthony of Padua (June 13th), Saint John the Baptist (June 24th) and Saint Peter (June 29th). This festival is characterized by its “sertanejo” style (the “sertão” is a region in the interior of Brazil), with music, food and dances typical of the interior of the country.
How the CLM celebrated in São Paulo
In São Paulo, the celebration took place on June 29th and began with games for children and bingo for adults. This year, two new attractions were the bean game, where participants guessed the number of beans in a jar, and the hiring of a singer, who enlivened the event with his music.
Francisco Braga, one of the participants, highlighted the organization and the details in the decoration: “There was a lot of typical food of the season: barbecue, pastries and a lot of fun for the children, who enjoyed the traditional June games. I can’t forget to mention the bingo, which I particularly like a lot. It is always a very characteristic attraction of the CLM’s June party. He also highlighted the participation of the country duo who sang and played live.”
A party of members of the CLM in Petrópolis
The CLM June Festival in Petrópolis was on Saturday, June 8th, and attracted families, youth, children, members and friends. Three bonfires were set up dedicated to Saint Anthony, Saint Peter and Saint John, the latter being the largest and main one, according to tradition, and blessed by Father Alexandre. The celebration included music, games for children, typical food and the quadrille, a regional Brazilian dance organized by youth from Mission Brazil.
Nathália Queiroz, catechist and member of the CLM coordination team, shared: “Seeing the joy of the people at the party, the spirit of communion and sharing warms my heart and renews my love for our movement and the desire to call more people to have the experience of living their faith in community.”
For more information about the activities of the Christian Life Movement in Brazil you can follow them on their social networks: Instagram | Facebook.