Bom dia! (“Good morning!”) So, how did you spend the weekend, dear reader? Are you ready for another week? I am. Well, the weather is not helping me to feel completely fine. Many people from the North Hemisphere dream about the tropical Summer, at the beach, surrounded by palm trees. But not even the ones who live near the sea, in Brazil, have a fairytale existence! The heat can be unbearable, sometimes! And things get worse for the ones who live in big cities! It’s +24C at present, but I don’t believe it! The temperature must be higher than this! I still didn’t do my workout. It’s not a good idea to do the workout, when it’s too hot outside! It’s madness! So … I’m not exactly in a good mood. It happens to you, too! We’re only humans, we are not celebrities who are (obligated to seem) happy all the time! 
I confess I’m not very inspired today, but writing is an exercise. Inspiration is something that comes and goes and probably only the Romantic poets believed that a writer is made of inspiration. Actually, we are made of practice. Of course, there’s inspiration, too, but writers, artists, singers, musicians develop a work, too, so, we need to study and practice. Creativity and inspiration are not synonyms. Sometimes we need to create something from nothing. I think a blog is a great exercise for a writer, at least for myself! This blog is about daily episodes and life in general. According to my way to see them, of course. There’s nothing better than reality, to me! The daily life is my material and my challenge is to transform it into something funny and interesting. I still have a lot to learn, but I’m having fun! I don’t depend that much on inspiration, I’m not writing a novel, a poem, a tale or something. So, I can learn to deal with words and choose the best ones, to express myself. Do you know, dear reader, that there are many ways to say the same thing? The challenge of a writer is to find the best way, for each occasion! Hey! I liked it! 
Well, I promised to say something about our “Dia de Reis”, right?! Fortunately I made a quick research about it last year and have some material. First, it’s necessary to introduce the characters of the holiday: the Magi, or “Reis Magos”, in Portuguese. When I was a little girl, my paternal granny (a very religious, Catholic woman) used to tell me stories of the Bible. Some of them were unbelievable, like that one about Noah and an ark full of animals (by the way, there’s a tale of a Brazilian writer, called Marina Colasanti, which is a realistic vision of the Noah’s ark. I promise to translate and publish it, here!). Others could become an horror movie, like the one about the last days of Jesus Christ (sorry, religious people! What people did to Jesus was a huge, monstrous cruelty and it’s hard to me to believe that religious people adore the image of someone dead, bleeding, nailed to a cross! Think about it!). And others were magical, like the one about three wise men, Balthasar, Caspar and Melchior, who travelled through the desert, following a shining star, to meet baby Jesus and give presents to him 
. This is my favorite biblical story until today! Historians and scientists try to find out if the three Magi have really existed and have lots of doubts about the Star of Bethelem. But, stories are stories, they don’t need to be based on reality. I believe in the Magi. But it makes no difference at all!
. This is my favorite biblical story until today! Historians and scientists try to find out if the three Magi have really existed and have lots of doubts about the Star of Bethelem. But, stories are stories, they don’t need to be based on reality. I believe in the Magi. But it makes no difference at all!
I loved this pic! ^^ These Magi were made with paper, scissors and glue! This is the link of the pic:
I’m not a religious person, but the journey of the Magi is one of the most fascinating stories of the Bible! There’s something magical about three wise men, from different places, ethnicities and backgrounds who followed a shining star, through the desert, because they knew that something very important to the future of humanity was happening! Sorry if you are a Christian or a Catholic person who doesn’t accept those things, but, this is a very mystical story, full of symbols! The three gifts that baby Jesus received (gold – because he would be a king; incense – because he would be a priest and myrrh, because he would be a prophet), the way his family escaped from a cruel persecution and the way he was found by the Magi, are just amazing! The Magi used to look at the sky, to have an idea of what would happen on Earth. Yes, we can say they were probably astrologers. They are the guardians of all astrologers. I don’t need to be religious to love them and their story! I have always loved wise people!
So, it’s sad to me to see that they have never been that important in Brazil 
. In many countries, Epiphany is more important than Christmas itself and kids believe that the Magi bring presents to them (which makes more sense, to me! Sorry, Santa Claus enthusiasts! …). Here, we have traditions related to Christmas and Epiphany, called “Folias de Reis”. From Christmas to Epiphany, artists, musicians and people in general visit the houses of the neighbourhood singing, playing, getting donations and “telling the good news” (Jesus Christ’s birth). It’s a religious, Catholic celebration and it came from Portugal. But, Brazil is a mix of cultures and beliefs, so, the religious celebration becomes a party, in many places, wit music, dance and different characters. The main one is the clown. This is a handmade one, by an artist called Alessandra Maeda, from Barueri (São Paulo’s countryside):
. In many countries, Epiphany is more important than Christmas itself and kids believe that the Magi bring presents to them (which makes more sense, to me! Sorry, Santa Claus enthusiasts! …). Here, we have traditions related to Christmas and Epiphany, called “Folias de Reis”. From Christmas to Epiphany, artists, musicians and people in general visit the houses of the neighbourhood singing, playing, getting donations and “telling the good news” (Jesus Christ’s birth). It’s a religious, Catholic celebration and it came from Portugal. But, Brazil is a mix of cultures and beliefs, so, the religious celebration becomes a party, in many places, wit music, dance and different characters. The main one is the clown. This is a handmade one, by an artist called Alessandra Maeda, from Barueri (São Paulo’s countryside):
Link of the pic: http://www.cidadespaulistas.com.br/folia-de-reis/bastiao-bon.jpg
Actually, this tradition is much more complex. The “Folia de Reis” is essentially a countryside celebration and it happens all over the country! I’ve never participated in one, but I really want to do it! People from “Folia de Reis” also carry a flag, which is a portrait of the Jesus’ birth scene. It’s all about to celebrate his birth!
I didn’t mention a thousand things about it, but this is only an introduction. If you want to know a little bit more about the subject, there’s a great writing right here:
http://www.cidadespaulistas.com.br/folia-de-reis/folia-de-reis.html
It’s in Portuguese, but you can translate it, using Google Translate!
Now, I really need to go! There are many other things to do! >.< Thanks for your visit, hope you’re enjoying the blog, stay tuned, other posts will come!
Luna
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