Nov.22, 2009
Rio de Janeiro's Christmas Festival, a nativity festival which will feature 50 displays in several of the city's neighborhoods, will open on Sunday, Nov.29.
The festival is a great chance for travelers to enjoy one of Brazil's most genuine expressions of holiday spirit in works by guest and selected artists, who have used a range of media and found inspiration in various Brazilian traits, such as rainforests.


Organized by 10 + Promoções e Eventos with the support of the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro and the City of Rio de Janeiro among other organizations, the festival includes underprivileged neighborhoods. There will be nativity scenes at Rocinha and Cidade de Deus, for example, thanks to a partnership with the NGO Central Única das Favelas.

The Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro, Dom Orani Tempesta, said in a press release that the objective of the event is to bring culture to all, regardless of their religion or social status. "The Nativity Scene Festival is an opportunity for us to join all forms of religion as well as to value the true spirit of Christmas, which is the birth of Jesus."

At the end of the event, organizers say the nativity scenes will be auctioned or sold and the money will be given to local charities.

The Nativity Scenes

Several nativitey scenes are on display already, even before the official opening of the event next Sunday. You can see a few in this Christmas Festival photo gallery.
Some of the nativity scenes will be at subway stations; many others will be on squares and parks, such as Wilma Bolsoni's at Praça Serzedelo Correia in Copacabana, Margarida Barroso's at Praça Antero de Quental in Leblon and Dilma Carvalho's at the central median in Aterro do Flamengo.

On weekends, 10 air-conditioned buses are going to stop at some of Rio's hotels for a Christmas festival tour. Schedules are to be announced, according to the organizers.

The nativity scenes will be on display until Jan.6, 2010, Wise Men's Day.