Dia dos Namorados (, ''Lovers' Day'') is a special date celebrated on June 12 in Brazil. The date is celebrated with gifts, romantic activities, decorations and festivities. The date is June 12 since it is close to Saint Anthony's Day on June 13. The term "Dia dos Namorados" is also used in other Portuguese-speaking countries to refer to Valentine's Day.

Background

Anthony of Padua, known as Saint Anthony, died on June 13, 1231, in Padua, Italy. In addition to having been

canonized Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of s ...

as a saint by the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, Anthony of Padua is recognized as a

general A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

in the Brazilian Army. In

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

, the Dia dos Namorados is celebrated on June 12, which is Saint Anthony's Day Eve. Saint Anthony is recognized for blessing young couples with happy and prosperous marriages. Celebrations for Dia dos Namorados in Brazil and those for

Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, thr ...

in most other countries are similar. Typically, couples exchange romantic gifts, such as chocolates or flowers, and they may also share a "date night". Additionally, beautifying home decorations are common as a part of the celebration. The day is festive, with colorful street decorations, parades and carnivals. Common musical celebrations include samba dancing and other folk music celebrations. In 2011, 2012, and 2017 the day was recognized online as the subject of a

Google doodle A Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google's homepages intended to commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and notable historical figures. The first Google Doodle honored the 1998 edition of the long-running an ...

. Dia dos Namorados as a celebration for lovers is closely related to observances of Saint Anthony's Day. Although Saint Anthony's Day is celebrated in some countries on January 17 in association with

Anthony the Great Anthony the Great ( grc-gre, Ἀντώνιος ''Antṓnios''; ar, القديس أنطونيوس الكبير; la, Antonius; ; c. 12 January 251 – 17 January 356), was a Christian monk from Egypt, revered since his death as a saint. He is d ...

, Saint Anthony (of Padua)'s Day Eve or Saint Anthony's Day is a day of religious observance for many in Brazil and his homeland of Portugal. Single women perform popular rituals, called ''simpatias'', in order to find a good husband or boyfriend. In addition to prayer on the Eve, one might conceal a love letter in a pot of basil to pass to a prospective suitor. The February 14 Valentine's Day is not celebrated in Brazil at all because it usually falls close to the

Brazilian Carnival The Carnival of Brazil ( pt, Carnaval do Brasil, ) is an annual Brazilian festival held the Friday afternoon before Ash Wednesday at noon, which marks the beginning of Lent, the forty-day period before Easter. During Lent, Roman Catholics and s ...

, which is celebrated in most other countries annually during the four days before Ash Wednesday, which falls between February 4 and March 10 depending on the year. In other Portuguese-speaking countries, Valentine's Day is referred to as "Dia dos Namorados" and celebrated the same day Valentine's Day is celebrated in February.

References

{{reflist, 33em Public holidays in Brazil Observances in Brazil Christian festivals and holy days Days celebrating love June observances Saints days pt:Dia dos Namorados