The Northern Region of Brazil is formed by the states of Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima and Tocantins. Its population is very mixed (indigenous, immigrants, Ceará, Gauchos, Paraná, Northeast, Africans, Europeans and Asians), a factor that contributes to the cultural diversity of the Region. The amount of cultural events in the North is immense, for this reason we will highlight some of these various elements that make up the culture of this so happy and receptive people.
There are several cultural events carried out by different indigenous tribes throughout the North Region. The Indian, for vanity or religious reasons, adorns himself through paintings and accessories during his celebrations.
indigenous celebration
The two biggest popular festivals in the North are the Círio de Nazaré, which on the second Sunday of October brings together more than 2 million people. people in Belém (PA), and the Parintins Festival, the best known boi-bumbá festival in the country, which takes place in June, in the Amazons.
Held in Belém do Pará for over two centuries, the Círio de Nazaré is one of the largest and most beautiful Catholic processions in Brazil and in the world. It gathers, annually, about two million pilgrims on a walk of faith through the streets of the state capital, in a grandiose spectacle in honor of Our Lady of Nazareth, the mother of Jesus.
The boi-bumbá is one of the variations of the bumba meu boi, widely practiced in Brazil. It's one of the oldest forms of popular distraction. It was introduced by European settlers, being the first expression of Brazilian popular theater.
The Parintins Festival is one of the most responsible for the cultural dissemination of the boi-bumbá. The Boi Garantido (red) and Boi Caprichoso (blue) clubs are presented at the Bumbódromo. There are three nights of presentation in which regional aspects such as legends, indigenous rituals and customs of riverside dwellers are addressed through allegories and reenactments.
Festival of Parintins
Carimbó is a musical style of black origin, a striking cultural manifestation in the state of Pará. The dance is performed in pairs and two rows of men and women are formed, when the music starts the men address the women clapping their hands; once the pairs are formed, they are revolving around themselves.
Congo or Congada is a cultural manifestation of African origin, but with Iberian influence, the Congo was already known in Lisbon between 1840 and 1850. It is popular throughout the Northern Region of Brazil, during Christmas and in the festivities of Nossa Senhora do Rosário and São Benedito.
The congada is the representation of the coronation of the king and queen elected by the slaves and the arrival of the embassy, which motivates the struggle between the party of the king and the ambassador. The king wins, the ambassador forgives himself. It ends with the baptism of the infidels.
congada
In Taguatinga, in the south of the state of Tocantins, Cavalhadas began in 1937. They take place during the feast of Nossa Senhora da Abadia, on the 12th and 13th of August. The ritual begins with the priest's blessing on the gentlemen; the delivery to the emperor of the spears used in training for battle symbolizing that they are prepared to present themselves in praise of Our Lady of the Abbey and in honor of the emperor.
The Folia de Reis is another common event in the northern states. The birth of Jesus Christ is celebrated by staging the visit of the three wise men to the grotto of Bethlehem to adore the Child-God. Data about this festival state that its origin is Portuguese and had a fun character, it was the commemoration of the birth of Christ.
The Festa do Divino is of Portuguese origin, is one of the most worshiped in Rondônia, gathers hundreds of faithful in the months of April, May and June, providing a beautiful spectacle.
Jerusalem in the Amazon is the second largest scenic city in the world, where the Passion of Christ is staged during Holy Week. This is another cultural event of fundamental importance for the population of Rondônia.
The indigenous heritage is very strong in Northern cuisine, based on cassava and fish. In the state of Amapá, sun-dried meat is widely consumed by the population. In the cities of Belém and Manaus, tacacá, a kind of hot soup made with tucupi, manioc gum, jambu (a type of herb), dried shrimp and sweet pepper, is taken directly from the indigenous gourd. Tucupi is a cassava broth cooked and squeezed in tipiti (indigenous sieve), which accompanies the typical tucupi duck, from Pará.
On the island of Marajó, the vaqueiro's fried dish stands out, made with cuts of buffalo meat accompanied by milk mush. Also from the island comes the buffalo mozzarella.
The biodiversity of the Amazon is also reflected in the variety of fruits: cupuaçu, bacuri, açaí, taperebá, soursop, buriti, tucumã, peach palm, among others.
Crafts in the North are very diversified and the works are produced with fibers, coconuts, ceramics, soapstone, clay, leather, wood, latex, among others. Animals, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, basketwork, pots, etc. are made.
Indigenous handicrafts are used as decorations, to compose the clothing used in rituals and also for the production of domestic utensils and for sale. The Karajá are excellent craftsmen in feather art and ceramics. The Akwe (Xerente) are considered the braided people (basketry) and the Timbiras (Apinajé and Krahô), are specialists in the art of braiding and artifacts of seeds native to the cerrado.
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Indigenous Crafts
In Tocantins, handicrafts made with golden grass stand out. It is a plant exclusive to the state, being more common in Jalapão. In the production of handicrafts, bags, pots, bracelets, earrings, mandalas, hats, ornaments are made. Today, around 50 types of products are made; handicrafts are necessarily in rounded shapes because the fiber cannot be bent.
By Wagner de Cerqueira and Francisco
Graduated in Geography
Brazil School Team
