Observed on

Oct 31st

 

Observed by

People of Brazil

Country of Origin 

Brazel

Celebrations/Customs

Celebration of Brazillian Culture and Folklore

Similar/Related to:

Halloween (As competition)

Key Points / Halloween Connection

- Brazilian festival started by a non-governmental group to compete with "American influenced holiday" of Halloween and support local folklore and culture that failed to gain popularity due to competing with Halloween

Rink Fact: The character appearing on the poster above is Saci Perere, a Brazilian Folkore trickster

Brief Bio

Halloween celebrations in Brazil started in English schools, where it was an important celebration. The real push towards the popularization of the festivity was given by industry later. In the last week of October in Brazil, many stores are decorated with pumpkins and dark colors and adorned with Halloween products – most imported from China or Taiwan.

Trying to oppose the American influence on Brazilian culture, deemed a distraction from its rich heritage, the NGO Amigos do Saci established Saci Day. The initiative was strongly supported by artists, educators, politicians and a good portion of society, and was turned into an official date in São Paulo state, as well as ten municipalities: São Paulo, São Luiz do Paraitinga, São José do Rio Preto, Guaratinguetá and Embu das Artes (São Paulo); Vitória (Espírito Santo); Poços de Caldas and Uberaba (Minas Gerais); and Fortaleza and Independência (Ceará).

However, the holiday ended up not being popularized, precisely because it contrasted with Halloween, which was popular given the global influence of American culture.

The poster character for this event is Saci Perere. Saci is a character in Brazilian folklore. He is a one-legged black man, who smokes a pipe and wears a magical red cap that enables him to disappear and reappear wherever he wishes (usually in the middle of a dirt devil). Considered an annoying prankster in most parts of Brazil, and a potentially dangerous and malicious creature in others, he nevertheless grants wishes to anyone who manages to trap him or steal his magic cap. Legend says that a person can trap a Saci inside a bottle when he is in the form of a dust devil.

The Saci legend is seen as a combination of native Tupi lore with African-Brazilian and European myth or superstition combined into it. Also, much of the currently told folklore about the Saci is traceable to what writer Monteiro Lobato collected and published in 1917–1918, and the children's book version he created and published in 1921.