C'rio de Nazare

C’rio de Nazaré

Second Sunday in October

The Brazilian festival known as the Círio de NazarÉ is a great "Candle Procession," which attracts pilgrims from all over the country. The Círio de NazarÉ has been celebrated since the late 18th century. It traditionally takes place on the second Sunday in October and winds through the city of BelÉm in the state of Pará on its way to the NazarÉ Basilica. There the statue of Our Lady of NazarÉ is venerated for 15 days during the festival. The statue is carried on a wooden framework pulled by thousands of people as payment for prayers that have been answered by the saint. The origins of the festival lie in a miracle that is said to have occurred in the early 1700s, when a wooden image of the saint disappeared from someone's home and then reappeared a couple of days later in the same place. To people in Pará, this festival is on a par with Christmas, with much feasting and exchanging of gifts.

CONTACTS:
Brazil Tourism Office
3006 Massachusetts Ave. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20008
800-727-2945 or 202-238-2802; fax: 202-238-2827
www.embratur.gov.br

SOURCES:
FiestaTime-1965, p. 156

Celebration days: Oct 9, 2011; Oct 14, 2012; Oct 13, 2013; Oct 12, 2014; Oct 11, 2015