Celebrations in South America

Holidays, fiestas and celebrations, whether secular or not, have a special significance in the culture of Latin America. Some, like New Years Eve, Easter, Christmas, or Semana Santa, are celebrated throughout the continent. Others are nationally specific. Some of the celebrations in The South American continent rank among the best in the world. They are celebrated with much pomp, show, gaiety, dancing and music.
On New Year’s Eve, the whole of The South American continent lights up, especially Brazil and Chile, with a million revellers on Copacabana Beach for one of the largest celebrations in Brazil. The fireworks, concerts, and the religious ceremonies of the Afro-Brazilian Candomblé make New Year’s Eve an unforgettable event. In Chile, Valparaíso rings in the New Year with fireworks displays rising high above the city’s glittering bay for the thousands of travellers who cover the hills. Furthermore, there are soccer, music, social and religious festivals. Soccer is revered like a religion in South America. The summer months celebrations of the South American continent are very popular. Celebrations in the South American continent include most of the Catholic holidays along with other faiths. On the eve of the Christian holidays, families gather for dinner, music and dancing. Other festive holidays include Good Friday and Easter Carnivals are celebrated with gusto in Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. The week before the start of Lent, Mardi Gras is celebrated in many of the nations of South America, with the liveliest celebrations found in Brazil. Rio’s incredible party is world famous with action on the streets, with the blocos, flatbed trucks with bands and sound systems leading people on a 3-day dance through the streets.

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