Celebrated on June 24, Festa Junina is one of the largest celebrations on the Brazilian calendar - and one of the few commemorated in the cold of Rio Grande do Sul's winter. Brought from Europe by the Portuguese during the colonial period, Festa Junina is the same as the Midsummer Festival of Northern Europe. Here in the land of green and yellow, the month of June is noted for celebrating the saint's days of St Anthony, St Peter and St John - the latter, in fact, gives name to the festivities.
Celebrated with a kermesse and public feast in the past, nowadays Festa de São João (St. John's Festival) is an excuse for a fun day out with family and friends. For the kids, there's even more fun in dressing up like country folk, in flannel shirts and straw hats, playing at a kermesse organized at schools and churches. For the adults, the cuisine holds special appeal. Corn on the cob, paçoca (peanut candy) and corn flour are in plenty, but the biggest stars are quentão, or mulled wine, and pine nuts.
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Quentão
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