papaya ox
The Boi de Mamão, or the Boi de Mamão dance, is the most popular game and, therefore, has become the most cultivated folk dance in greater Florianópolis. Considered one of the oldest folk traditions in Santa Catarina, especially in the coastal regions, it receives greater prominence between Christmas and Carnival. Initially, the Boi-de-Mamão was called O Folguedo do Boi Falso or Boi de Pano from Santa Catarina Island and, only in the 1930s, did it receive its current name. This is because the children, lacking the original skull, used a papaya to make the ox's head. But there are still some disagreements regarding the origin of the name.
The story shows the despair of Mateus, a simple cowboy from the interior of the Island, who, upon seeing his pet ox dead, seeks a doctor and a healer to resurrect him. At the end, the ox comes back to life and everyone celebrates with singing and dancing.
