The celebration Brazil's national holiday of Our Lady of Aparecida is a wonderful treat for any visitors looking to learn about the country's religious history and culture, participate in decadent feasting and beautiful services held in massive basilicas, as well as children's day.

Legend has it that fisherman pulled out a small headless, black statue of the Virgin from the Paraiba River in 1717. Their nets also retrieved the head from the river and they named her Nossa Senhora da Aparecida or Our Lady Who Appeared. The figurine is alleged to have performed miracles, the most widely known is releasing a slave from his bondage.

By the 1760s a basilica was built to house the statue due to its overwhelming amount of pilgrims and visitors. In 1928 the Pope declared Our Lady of Aparecida the patron saint of Brazil and an even larger basilica was built in the 1950s. October 12th is the national saint's feast day. Now, it is also celebrated as Children's Day. Brazilian children look forward to this day even more so than Christmas, as the get to open gifts from their parents.

What: Celebrating Children's Day and our Lady of Aparecida in Brazil
Where: Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
When: October 12
URL: http://everydaysaholiday.org