The Boi Bumba story is a simple one. Catarina, a young pregnant newlywed, is craving ox tongue. She begs her husband Francisco to bring her the tongue of his bosses' prize oxen bull. Since Francisco cannot resist his beautiful wife's desires, he kills the bull and gives her the tongue. His boss is furious and vows to punish the person who slay his favorite prize ox. A worried Francisco consults with a priest and a shaman and begs them to bring the ox back to life. After much praying and dancing, the priest and the shaman succeed, and everyone lives happily ever after. The pageant we witnessed had a beautiful bride and a bull, but the rest was more entertainment than opera. The Boi Bumba had very loud music and drums, amazing floats, and gorgeous costumes worn by beautiful young people. It was a fun-filled afternoon for all of us.
The Boi Bumba Festival in June is also a friendly competition between two teams that pack the stadium each night of the pageant with their supporters. Judges score the teams on the quality of their presentation and the good behavior and support of their fans.
