Caipora Books

And so Carnival is over, fireflies! Today is the Quarta-Feira de Cinzas, or Ash Wednesday, in Brazil. But what does it mean?👇

Ash Wednesday (quarta-feita de cinzas) is the first day of Lent in the Western Christian (Catholic) calendar. The ashes that Catholic Christians receive on this day are a symbol of reflection on the duty of conversion, of changing one's life, of remembering the transient, fleeting, ephemeral fragility of human life, subject to death.💀

It occurs forty days before Easter (not including Sundays). Its position in the calendar varies each year, depending on the date of Easter. The date can vary from early February to the second week of March.

The Roman Catholic Church treats Ash Wednesday as a day of remembrance of mortality. Traditionally, Masses are held on this day, during which the participants are blessed with ashes by the priest presiding over the ceremony. The priest smears ashes on the forehead of each celebrant, leaving a mark that the Christian usually leaves on his or her forehead until sunset, when it is washed off. This symbolism recalls the ancient Middle Eastern tradition of casting ashes on the head as a symbol of repentance before God (as reported several times in the Bible). In Roman Catholicism, it is a day of fasting and abstinence.🔚

👀Religion is intertwined with our culture in many ways; and we will break it down for you from a cultural, not religious, point of view along the holidays.

Oh, we will publish many horror stories that evolve our superstitions, of course.💀

Folks, Caipora is the book publisher you didn't know you needed, but here we are, finally. You're welcome. 😆

Share this post with a culture fanatic fan and don't forget to save and follow us!

It's Carnival in Brazil. Well, in many places around the globe, actually, but the Brazilian Carnival is undoubtedly one of the most famous.

But how did it start?

Carnival was brought to Brazil by the Portuguese colonizers between the 16th and 17th centuries, initially through the entrudo, a popular game. Over time, Carnaval acquired other forms of expression, such as the masked ball. The emergence of carnival societies contributed to the popularization of the celebration among the poor.

In the 20th century, the popularization of the party contributed to the emergence of samba, a musical style heavily influenced by African culture, and the samba school parade, an event that eventually became official with government support. During this period, Carnival took its position as the largest popular party in Brazil.

"Entrudo”

Carnival came to Brazil through the practice of entrudo, a very popular game in Portugal. This practice was established in Brazil at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries and was very popular until the 19th century, disappearing from the country in the middle of the 20th century due to the repression that was established against this game.

Did you know it? 

Have you ever been to a Brazilian Carnival?