Traditional Birthday ‘Festa’

Last week I received an invitation to the birthday party of the children of one of the Mamãs I’d met in town. I had only met Mamã Sónia, or Mãezinha (Mommy) as she told me to call her, the week before through my new German-also-white-also-a-volunteer Friend, Naira. Given that I hadn’t met her children yet, I was pleasantly surprised to be invited and moreover, invited to the making of the food before the guests arrived.

Sunday morning at 0900 Naira and Beatriz, Mana Bea (Sister Bea), came to fetch me from my house and bring me to Mãezinha’s house, which as it turns out is just around the palm tree from my place. When I arrive I’m introduced by Naira because she is “responsible” for me and then I’m told everybody’s names of which I only remember a few. Turns out it is Mana Bea’s and her two brothers’ (Dercio and Lorinho) birthdays. Two of them on the same day and the other 6 days later (Aug 10 & 16).

They have already peeled and cut the potatoes for French fries and for potato salad, prepared the chicken and goat, cut up the lettuce and some vegetables. After some awkward chit chat and questions about German- to which I clarified that I was from Canada and we speak English and/or French- I was put to work peeling and cutting beats, taking seeds out of cucumbers, making Xima (maize/ fine flour with water that you have to beat/mix while cooking to make it really dense. Looks like mashed potatoes but doesn’t have much taste), and helping set up the table with ribbon and such.

The festa was to start at 1200, so obviously it started at 1400. Thankfully we had tea (which was actually baking cocoa power, powered milk and sugar) and bread with jam somewhere along the way. The Master of Ceremony (MC) started off by what I can only guess was welcoming and thanking everyone for coming being as he was speaking Chope and I only know food and small pleasantries so far. We sang some songs about God, some in Chope and some in Portuguese; then the Pastor made a homily about family (again in Chope); then we sang a clapped as everyone gave presents- which consisted of a processional line for the three birthday kids and actually giving or draping them with the presents; finally, we sang and clapped as people paid money to not eat…………. Or at least that is what was explained to Naira and me. We didn’t pay ‘cause we wanted to eat!

African Birthday Party- presenting gifts!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpYzDRjPxWw

Not the greatest quality :)

Apart from the 4 birthday cakes the food consisted of:

Goat stew
Grilled Chicken
Rice
Xima
French Fries
Two potato Salads
Beats
Salad

All of which was delicious and we ate with our hands.

The cake cutting ceremony was quite similar to a wedding cutting ceremony. The Godparents or parent would cut the cake with the each of the kids while we sang this song that basically said “they cut the cake”, “they drink the champagne” (which was substituted for Fanta), “they kiss” a bunch of times while clapping. We did that for each kid and the Godparents and then the Grandparents.

After cake we danced the night away. There was a lot of booty shaking, especially from one particular 7 year old girl.

It was a fantastic day with lots of learning and some new friendships. I also picked up a few cooking techniques which should make my life easier!