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Lesson Transcript

Hello, and welcome to the Culture Class - Holidays in Brazil Series at PortuguesePod101.com. In this series, we’re exploring the traditions behind holidays and observances in Brazil. I’m Becky, and you're listening to Season 1, Lesson 6 - Corpus Christi, or in Portuguese, Corpus Christi.
As you know, Brazil has many Catholic and Portuguese traditions. In this lesson, we'll talk about another national Catholic holiday, Corpus Christi. Although it originated in Europe, we'll talk about how it’s celebrated in Brazil.
Now, before we get into more detail, I've got a question for you-
Since when has Corpus Christi been celebrated in Brazil?
If you don't already know, you’ll find out a bit later, so keep listening!
The Corpus Christi holiday always falls on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, or sixty days after Easter. The words "Corpus Christi" are Latin for "Body of Christ."
On the day of Corpus Christi, Catholics commemorate the presence of the body and blood of Christ, the Eucharist or a Eucaristia in Portuguese. This is a holy day of obligation, meaning that on this day, all Catholics are required to attend Mass.
From dawn or even days before the holiday, volunteers, church members, and groups of students gather together to set up the most important tradition of that day – the “carpets,” or tapetes for the procession. In almost every town, carpets are laid, usually made of colored “sawdust,” or serragem, coffee grounds, flour, sand, leaves or flowers, formed into various religious designs, through the main streets of the city. In São Gonçalo, for example, the carpet is more than 1.5 kilometers long. On the same afternoon, the procession passes on it, led by the priest towards the church.
And what about those who are not involved in creating the carpet or participating in the procession? What do they do? They enjoy traveling around and sightseeing. As the holiday is on a Thursday, most schools make it a “long holiday,” or feriado prolongado in Portuguese. This long weekend is a great opportunity to visit “historic towns,” or cidades históricas in Portuguese, and see their traditional carpets, go to the beach, or visit friends and family.
Another event that takes place around the time of Corpus Christi is the “March for Jesus,” or in Portuguese, Marcha para Jesus, now celebrated on the Saturday after Corpus Christi. First celebrated in 1993, this has become an international event with concerts, street music processions, the famous electronic trios or trios elétricos in Portuguese, and various Christian communities.
Now it's time to answer our quiz question.
Since when has Corpus Christi been celebrated in Brazil?
The festival of Corpus Christi was first celebrated in 1549 in the town of Salvador. At that time, all the residents of the town were required to participate in the celebration, and anyone who refused was fined.
How was this lesson? Did you learn anything interesting?
What did you think of the Corpus Christi carpets?
Leave your comments on the lesson page at PortuguesePod101.com
And we'll see you in the next lesson!

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