Bumba Meu Boi is an interactive play celebrated in Brazil. It originated in the 18th century. It is a form of social criticism. Lower-class Brazilians mock and criticize those of higher social status through a comedic folklore story told in song and dance. Though not as well known internationally as Carnival and other Brazilian festivals, it is older and deeply rooted in the culture of Brazil. The tale can vary depending on the region and social setting in which it is practiced. However, its essential theme remains the same, with a focus on the death and resurrection of an ox.
The principal figures include an ox, a white master (Cavalo Marinho, in Pernambuco), a black pregnant woman (Catirina), a Vaqueiro or cowboy (Mateus, Chico or Pai Francisco), other vaqueiros (cowboys), índios, índias and caboclos (indigenous people), a priest, and a doctor (or indigenous healers, pajés). The audience is also a key component of the performance, as passionate responses from spectators provide a hectic atmosphere. Additionally, performers are known to become playfully physical with the audience.
Today, Bumba Meu Boi is separated into traditional and modern practices. However, only the traditional forms can be found throughout the country. Both versions can be seen in Brazil from June 13 to 29, as well as from December 25 (Christmas) to January 6.
The Cultural Complex of Bumba-meu-boi from Maranhão was declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in December 2019.
right|thumb|Giant Bumba-meu-boi in [[Recife]]
History
left|thumb|upright|Illustration of Bumba Meu Boi on a stamp
Many different origins of Bumba Meu Boi have been proposed. However, the most commonly believed one is from mid-18th-century Brazil lower-class communities that were left very little from the wealthy and forced to live dreadful lives. It was through these rough conditions that Bumba Meu Boi was born to bring joy to these deprived communities, as well as to provide men with an internal form of rebellion. These communities consisted of slaves and rural workers. So from the start, Bumba Meu Boi was created from people of mixed origins. This is significant because it cuts the festival from any racial ties.
As it became more popular throughout northeastern communities in the 21st century, people began performing it for the entertainment of others, rather than merely for self-enjoyment. It was at this point that it evolved from a family affair to a communal one. This also made it more important within lower-class Brazilians' social lives, as it brought everyone together. By the 20th century the play became an annual and biannual event, transitioning to its modern form as a festival.
right|thumb|The [[Parintins Festival in June 2003]]
The ox was placed as a centerpiece because, at the time, it was seen as an animal of high economic regard due to its use in farming. Oxen were also highly involved in colonists' social lives, as bullfighting and calf-dancing were very popular. These are thought to have been passed down from lower-class Portuguese families, as similar social activities can be traced back much further in Portugal.
A literal translation for "bumba my ox" could be "dance my ox".
Bumba meu boi in Maranhão
thumb|upright|"Miolo do boi", man responsible for the evolutions and choreography of the ox, in Maranhão. This is the miolo of Boi da Maioba (Ox of Maioba)There are almost one hundred bumba-meu-boi groups in the state of Maranhão, Brazil, subdivided in . Each sotaque (which means "accent") has its own characteristics that are manifested in clothes, in the choice of instruments, in the type of cadence of music and in choreographies. The sotaques are: matraca, zabumba, orquestra, from the Baixada Maranhense, and costa de mão, that appear especially in the month of June, in the Festas Juninas, in places called Arraiais.
It involves several characters, such as the owner of the farm (amo or master), Pai Francisco (vaqueiro, a cowboy, or a slave), his wife Catirina, cowboys (vaqueiros), índios, índias and caboclos (indigenous people), the ox, and cazumbás (a mischievous being that represents the overall spirit of Bumba Meu Boi). The plot recalls a typical history of the region's social and economic relations during the colonial period, marked by monoculture, extensive cattle breeding and slavery, mixing European, African and indigenous cultures.