the ceremony is accompanied by the singing of the hymn to the flag', and by a 21-gun salute.

november 20th is zumbi dos palmares day, or 'black consciousness day' -  originally celebrated since the 1960s on the 13th of may, the date of abolition of slavery in 1888, it recently has been moved to this date to coincide with the murder of zumbi dos palmares, a former free man, turned slave and strong proponent of antislavery.

zumbi became a legendary resistance leader, believed by many to be immortal -  it is during zumbi's period that the african descendants created the capoeira, an impressive martial art disguised as a dance.