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Folia de Reis is a religious festival of Portuguese origin, which lasts 12 days (from 24/12 to 06 January, ie since the birth of Jesus Christ, even when that the Magi found Him).

According to the book of Matthew (2, 1-12), the magi were wise men from the East, guided by a star to worship the divine Child in Bethlehem is speculated that they were not kings, and also do not know what exact number. There are paintings of the early centuries that exhibit between 2 and 12 wise men worship Jesus Christ. (The Bible does not refer to them as kings, or three in number).

The names of the magicians were also assigned, as the heterônimos of Fernando Pessoa, each with its own characteristics. Belchior (or Melchior) was white, was around 60 years old, white hair and a long beard, and was the one who offered gold to Jesus, symbolizing his kingship.Gaspar was Asian, was 40 years and took incense, representing the faith, such as prayer rising to heaven. Baltazar was black, was 20, and presented Jesus with myrrh, symbolizing the suffering that He would pass on earth. (According to legend, the Magi were descendants of three sons of Noah: Japheth, Shem and CAM). Adoration of the Magi to the Infant God symbolizes the honor of all the peoples of the earth to the King of Kings.

This festival has become a big celebration for the church. Across Europe, it is a holiday the Day of Kings, and in many places, the gifts are distributed only on day 6.

The Portuguese, who were celebrating the feast just for fun, brought her to Brazil in the nineteenth century, where it acquired a religious spirit, especially among communities in the interior, who celebrate this day with music, exchange visits, symbolizing the visit of the kingsMagi to Jesus, in his first appearance for men (Epiphany).

In the year 378, Pope Julius I determined the date of December 25 to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Currently in Brazil, the feast of Folia de Reis expressed the devotion of men through his characters, songs, clothes and customs, giving thanks to God, and praying protection for the storms of life.

Despite being an expression of religiosity, the party is considered as spontaneous activity, ie, independent of the official rules of the Catholic Church. The Holy Spirit is represented in the party by a dove.

There is a legend inside the legend of the Magi: Gaspar and Belchior, ashamed to walk beside Baltazar, who was black, decided to wake up early and go in search of the Child God without a partner. Upon awakening, Baltazar received instructions directly from the Heavenly Father to meet his friends, following the star, and came to the Infant Jesus before them.

Twelve people participating in the Folia de Reis, wearing brightly colored.

Master
The main element of the group has extensive knowledge of the party, and has full authority over the others. It is also responsible for singing, narrating the visit of the Magi to Jesus. (Also called é Ambassador)

Foreman

He is responsible for collecting donations for the party. é The first substitute teacher, and accompanies the singing.

Clown

Join the party in variable number. Its function is to protect the Child Jesus, confusing Herod’s soldiers. The clowns has the role to ask the owners of the houses visited, donations to the party. The host can, however, require that any service is done in exchange for donations.

Magi

There are three characters that represent the journey of hope, to meet the divine Child.

Ensign

It is a respected person in the community who leads the flag, and can not be surpassed by anyone. It represents the spiritual authority

Revelers

People from the community, participating in the party.

The songs that are sung by the group can be traditional or written by the Master himself.

The candidate for membership in a group of Folia de Reis, has obligations and responsibilities that start with the submission to the orders of the Master, and some groups even have a written code of ethics and accepted by members.

A Folia de Reis has served the newly freed slaves, as a strategy to move, without being bothered, and still had secured board and lodging.

In Brazil, the revelry is known mainly in the states of Rio de Janeiro, Goiás, Minas Gerais, Sao Paulo, Parana and Espirito Santo, but there are records of its occurrence over Brazil on the outskirts of large cities.  

Usually the revelers are paying some promise, to participate actively in the party. One feature of the festival is the diversity, each culture, each city has different customs and traditions, according to the peculiarities of the region.

Folia de Reis in the World

January 6 in France, is an ancient custom to consume sweet pie and stuffed, the “Galette des Rois.” There are bakeries in the tradition of putting a bean or dry beans in the pie, and consumers to find the prize in its share, is elected king of the day. Currently, the bean was replaced by an image printed on porcelain.

The party is known in Italy as “Befana”, which means a good witch who gives gifts to children. In Spain, where the distribution of Christmas presents is January 5, the event is known as the Feast of Kings.

The party

Every year, several groups of revelers go on pilgrimage, following the guiding star to the meeting of the Child Jesus as King Herod to kill all children of the city. One of the partygoers convinced the troops not to obey the orders of the King, and instead, they collect the donations and gifts to the party.

During the visits, the revelers often pass the house flag of hosts to ask for blessings to the Holy Kings. When the troop arrives at a house where there crib, the revelers kneel before him and remain in that position until the singer get his verses.

Clowns entertain, while collect gifts for the party.

Typical foods

The food served during the pilgrimage, or even during the party respects the regionalism and the continental dimensions of our country (Rafale in Rio de Janeiro, Juh, Goias, Piaui Canjica).

Roadmap

In the first meeting of the group, the master distributes the tasks among the revelers, who will leave the streets.

Walk the Lieutenant makes his team, blessing the houses they visit is called the Giro. 

The route is such that, from house to house the company Santos Reis approach the site of the Landing, when Ensign team and spend the night with the flag at the home of a believer. When they leave home, spend it, repeating the gestures of arrival (Farewell).

At some point the party, is to pass the revelry for the new lieutenant.

The pilgrims visits the homes of the community, announcing the birth of Jesus, singing songs to the sound of guitars. Practice the gospel of the official Catholic Church, but from the perspective of popular culture. When visiting a home, are cause for celebration across the street.

Superstitions connected with the festival the past, people did not understand most of natural phenomena, and then used to assign causes to certain facts, and this custom has been passed down through generations without any scientific basis, and today, people know it but just in case ….

The beliefs listed below refer to the Feast of the Holy Kings.

The flag should not make a shape of a cross where it has gone: If that happens, someone dies of revelry.

If you must cross a wire fence, the instruments should not pass under the fence, lest they sound.

In Epiphany, some families tend to write the names of the three wise men in a white piece of paper and place it at the door of the house, so there throughout the year, plenty, health and happiness.

There is also a friendly, made with pomegranate, on 06 January when the family gathers to pray one Our Father and one Hail Mary, then each one takes three lumps of pomegranate, put in your mouth to suck the juice from the fruit, one by one, and then wrap in a piece of paper to keep the portfolio during the year, not to lack money. The wrapped each seed should be repeated “They Belchior, Gaspar and Baltazar St. .. Do not let the money missing. ” Each year, the ancient seeds should be played in running water.

The fun can not go the same place where it came

The walkers pass through low clothesline clothes.