Full name: São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro

     Do you know why January 20th is a municipal holiday in Rio de Janeiro? On the 20th of this month, the Day of Saint Sebastian is celebrated.

    Born in France in the year 256, Saint Sebastian was a Roman soldier who moved to Italy and used his influence to convert soldiers and prisoners to the Christian faith, ultimately being martyred for it. 

    Saint Sebastian is the patron saint of Rio de Janeiro because the Portuguese explored the waters of Guanabara Bay on this day. However, January 20th is not the city's anniversary; although January 20th is a commemorative holiday in Rio de Janeiro, the city's anniversary is on March 1st, as on this day in 1565, Estácio de Sá officially founded the city.

    Besides the city of Rio de Janeiro, Saint Sebastian is also the patron saint of athletes and the military. 

    Saint Sebastian is depicted tied to a tree trunk because Emperor Diocletian condemned him and ordered that he be tied naked to a tree to be killed by arrows; however, he did not die and was saved by a widow who helped heal his wounds. When he confronted the emperor again, he was whipped to death.

    Later, Emperor Constantine, having converted to Christianity, built the Basilica of Saint Sebastian, initiating the veneration of the martyr.

    Apart from the story of the origin of this Catholic saint, the emblematic image of Saint Sebastian represents the city of Rio well, reminding us that humans and the environment are interconnected, and that humans need to preserve nature for their own survival.





Sources:

Salmos & Anjos Especial Magazine. Year 6, no. 20, 2010. Ed. Alto Astral atendimento@astral.com.br

https://www.calendarr.com/brasil/aniversario-do-rio-de-janeiro/

https://www.calendarr.com/brasil/dia-de-sao-sebastiao/

https://youtube.com/@canalverderj

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