The Festas Juninas are festivities which take place each year in honor of the 'June Saints', most notably Saint Anthony, Saint John and Saint Peter.

All throughout june, july and parts of august, rio plays host to a wide range of outdoor and indoor parties in honor of these saints, imbuing the European celebration with traditional Brazilian and Afro-Brazilian music and cuisine, such as forró and feijoada - These festivities are a seminal part of Brazilian folkloric and Catholic history.

christmas is the most important religious event for cariocas, and Brazilians imbue the period with their own particular character.