Happy 350th Birthday, Santarém!! This week, in Santarem, we celebrate two holidays, the local holiday and celebration of the founding of the city on June 22nd, 1661, followed by the national Catholic holiday of Corpus Christi (The Body of Christ) on June 23rd. The city will shut down for a couple days, with only a handful of gas stations remaining open. Lot's of partying will ensue. My wife and I will spend some time with family, some time with our cell group, and some time relaxing and resting. Oh, and I will be sure to participate in the 4K Running for Santarem event.
A couple weeks ago, I was privately lamenting over not being able to celebrate Memorial Day. Of course I don't expect to celebrate Memorial Day in in Brazil, but that doesn't cut the nostalgia created by thousands of miles of separation. Holidays are not just holidays, nor are they just days off of work. What we do on those days makes them a special part of our culture.
But combining two cultures isn't so bad. I may not get twice as many days off, but I still get to celebrate twice as many holidays! And it's fun for all the ex-pats to get together and share a bit of our home culture with the locals.
But who needs Memorial Day and Labor Day when you live in a climate where summer never really starts or ends?
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