How to Talk About Festa Junina in English + Free Printable Activity: June Party Mini Book!

Hi, I'm teacher Loren, and here we are in the month of June. Festa Junina is one of the most popular and colorful festivals in Brazil. But… how can we explain this tradition in English?

In this post, you’ll learn vocabulary, example sentences, and useful phrases to talk about Festa Junina with friends, teachers, or even foreign tourists. And at the end… there’s a FREE downloadable mini book for your English practice!

What is Festa Junina?

There’s no exact translation for Festa Junina, but you can say:

• June Festival

• Brazilian June Festival

• Traditional Brazilian June Party

Example:"Festa Junina is a traditional Brazilian festival that happens in June. We celebrate with food, music, dances, and fun games."

Complete Festa Junina Glossary in English

🍴 Typical Foods (Comidas Típicas)

Portuguese	English	Description
Bolo de fubá	Cornmeal cake	Brazilian cake made with cornmeal
Pamonha	Sweet corn pudding / Corn paste wrapped in husks	Sweet dish made with corn and sugar
Canjica	Sweet hominy pudding / Sweet corn porridge	Dessert with hominy corn, milk, sugar, and cinnamon
Curau	Corn pudding / Sweet corn cream	Creamy corn dessert
Pé-de-moleque	Peanut brittle	Hard peanut candy
Paçoca	Ground peanut candy	Crumbly sweet made from peanuts
Milho cozido	Boiled corn / Corn on the cob	Simply boiled corn
Pipoca	Popcorn	Popcorn!
Arroz doce	Sweet rice / Rice pudding	Rice dessert with milk and cinnamon
Cocada	Coconut candy	Sweet made with coconut and sugar

🍹 Drinks (Bebidas)

Portuguese	English	Description
Quentão	Mulled wine / Hot ginger and cachaça drink	Hot drink with ginger, sugar, and alcohol
Vinho quente	Hot wine / Spiced hot wine	Red wine with sugar and spices
Caldo (verde, de feijão, etc)	Broth / Soup	Hot savory soups (potato, kale, beans, etc.)

👕 Clothes and Accessories (Roupas e Acessórios)

Portuguese	English
Roupas caipiras	Country clothes / Farmer costumes
Vestido de chita	Flowered dress / Cotton dress
Chapéu de palha	Straw hat
Maquiagem com pintinhas	Makeup with freckles
Remendos nas roupas	Patches on clothes

🎉 Decorations and Elements (Decoração e Elementos Típicos)

Portuguese	English
Bandeirinhas	Little flags / Colorful flags
Balões	Balloons
Fogueira	Bonfire
Fogos de artifício	Fireworks
Barracas de brincadeiras	Game booths / Game stands

How to Talk About Typical Foods

Basic sentences:

• "We eat corn cake and popcorn at the June Festival."

• "I like sweet rice and peanut candy."

• "We drink hot wine and quentão."

Intermediate sentences:

• "During Festa Junina, we have many traditional dishes made with corn, peanuts, and coconut."

• "Canjica and curau are sweet desserts prepared with milk and corn."

• "There are also salty foods like hot soups and Brazilian barbecue."

How to Talk About the Dance: Quadrilha

Basic sentences:

• "We dance a traditional dance called quadrilha."

• "It is like a square dance."
  

Intermediate sentences:

• "People dress like farmers and dance the quadrilha. It’s a group dance with a leader who gives fun instructions."

• "During the dance, people hold hands, change partners, and make circles."

• "The dance tells a funny story, often about a wedding."

Practice Questions (For Students)

For Basic Level:

1. What is your favorite Festa Junina food?

2. Have you ever danced quadrilha?

3. What clothes do people wear for the June Festival?

4. Do you like popcorn and corn cake?
   

For Intermediate Level:

1. How would you describe Festa Junina to a foreign friend?

2. What are the most popular decorations at the June Festival?

3. What typical drinks do people serve during Festa Junina?

4. Can you explain how the quadrilha dance works?

Dica extra para os alunos:

Se não souber o nome de uma comida em inglês ou não lembrar, descreva! Isso é super comum e mostra que você consegue se comunicar mesmo sem o vocabulário exato.

Exemplo:

• "Canjica is a sweet dish with corn, milk, and sugar."

  
  
  
  

Free Download: June Party – Mini Book (PDF)

I’ve prepared a FREE printable mini book called "June Party – Mini Book" for you!

atividade festa junina - mini book.pdf

Download PDF • 898KB

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Step by step

How to fold and cut your downloaded activity correctly. Watch the video.