Caption: Children’s Day has been a historical celebration in Brazil since 1924. [image from “Every Day is Special” Blogger]
by Melissa Fernandes
On October 12th, 2023, the festivities of Children’s Day were celebrated in Brazil as traditionally expected for another memorable year of events. Schools all over Brazil were closed and families were encouraged to focus on celebrating the lives of their “crianças”.
According to the Mundo da Educação, Brazil was one of the first in the world to begin to celebrate these members of their communities. The date was added to the Brazilian calendar in 1924 and it has been a day especially dedicated to children ever since.
Since its initial inception, the commemoration of the day did not change until 1959. This is when the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) established November 20 as an International Children’s Day, with the intention of being more than just a celebration for one country, but to also be a preservation of children’s rights worldwide.
Because this date is a public holiday involving the entire country of Brazil, the PACA community was also given two days free of responsibilities from school attendance so that teachers, staff and students could spend more time with their families. For some families, this was an ideal opportunity to make a trip away from São Paulo.
“I really enjoy Children’s Day, as I travel with my friends to the beach,” said Maria Eduarda Bertine from 2nd grade. “I have great memories as I spend time with my twin sister and younger brother.”
The Bertine family not only travels to the beach, but they also enjoy the generosity of their parents who give them special gifts to make the holiday memorable. Berntine appreciates both.
“My favorite [gift] was an electronic pop-it, and my favorite memory is when my friends and I rode surfboards on the beach,” said Bertine.
Another student at PACA, Laura Moreno, also enjoys the time with family and appreciates receiving presents.
“I do fun things with my family and I always get gifts.” said Moreno.
Although the focus is on children during this holiday, parents are always involved.
Jardilene dos Santos, who is a mother and works at PACA, says how important it is for her to be able to have this special day with her daughter. They celebrated by hanging out together on the Friday of that holiday.
“Let’s hang out and have fun,” said Santos of their plans for the holiday.
Although Brazil’s Children’s Day is over, UNICEF encourages people from all nations to remember that World Children’s Day is still coming on November 20, and to find ways to support and stand up for children’s rights around the world. Please visit this website for more details: https://www.unicef.org/world-childrens-day
