having bought their gifts and decorated their homes, most cariocas have an unusually plentiful meal with friends and families on christmas eve, before heading to the midnight mass called the 'mass of the rooster' (misa do galho).

the midnight mass is a staple of the catholic tradition, but in rio de janeiro they take on - as do all things - many unique forms.

named after the legend of a rooster crowing to announce the coming of the christ child, the church service is a tradition for cariocas of all ages and manifests itself in myriad ways.