Day 16 December 9th, 2025, PARINTINS, BRAZIL, Amazon Explorer, MS Volendam (Holland America)

Day 16 December 9th, 2025, PARINTINS, BRAZIL, Amazon Explorer, MS Volendam (Holland America)

Amazonian city of Parintins, is a vibrant celebration of Brazilian culture centered around the Bumba Meu Boi legend, featuring colorful performances and intense community rivalry.

Overview of the Festival
The Parintins Folklore Festival (Festival Folclórico de Parintins) is one of Brazil's largest and most significant cultural events, taking place over three days at the end of June. It is recognized as a Cultural Heritage of Brazil by the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage. The festival celebrates the Bumba Meu Boi, a traditional tale about a resurrected ox, and features two competing groups: Boi Garantido (red) and Boi Caprichoso (blue).

Parintins, like nearly all other Brazilian municipalities, was originally inhabited by indigenous peoples. Its discovery occurred in 1749 when going down the Amazon River, the exploiter José Gonçalves da Fonseca, noticed an island which, by extension excelled located on the right bank of the big river Amazon. The foundation of the town was only held in 1796, by José Pedro Cordovil, who came with his slaves and aggregates to concentrate on fishing arapaima and agriculture, calling the Tupinambarana. Queen Maria First gave him the island as a gift. Fixed, he founded a cocoa tree farm, dedicated to the farming of that product on a large scale. To get out of there, sometime later, offered the island to the queen. Tupinambarana was accepted and elevated to the religious mission, in 1803, by Captain-mor of Pará, the Count of Arcos, who has directed the mission of the Friar José das Chagas, receiving the title of Vila Nova da Rainha. Efficient performance of José provoked a surge of progress and development in the town, by the organization of the region of the upper Amazon. In July 1833 the village was transformed into a parish, with the name of the parish of Nossa Senhora do Carmo of Tupinambarana. Was still a simple parish when started a revolution in Grão-Pará, and spread throughout the province amazonian. The Vicar, father Antônio de Souza Neto, it's had outstanding performance during the sedition, served as a delegate against the revolutionaries in the lower Amazon River. Parintins maybe because was well defended, was spared the attacks of the night. On 24 October 1848, by the provincial law of Great-Para n° 146, elevated the town to the category of the village, with the name of Vila Bela Imperatriz, and constituted in the municipality until then connected the Maués. On 15 October 1852, now in the province of Amazonas, by provincial law number two confirmed the creation of the municipality. Official on 14 March 1853 the installation of the city renamed for Parintins in 1880, honoring to the name of the tribe that inhabited the place before your foundation.