Rio Celebrates Cosme and Damião With Citywide Sweet Giveaways, Masses and Samba

Overview

• In neighborhoods from Gamboa and Lapa to Andaraí and Leme, cortejos, children’s activities, samba rodas and caruru anchor Saturday’s programs with sweets handed out along routes.
• At the Paróquia de Cosme e Damião in Andaraí, masses run hourly from 7 a.m., and the parish priest says the day welcomes people of all faiths.
• Terreiros across Rio hold Ibejada, giras and caruru in honor of the Ibejis/Erês, with a published schedule compiled by Agen‑Afro guiding devotees.
• Community distributions multiply: more than 1,000 sweet bags at the Vila Olímpica do Salgueiro, samba school giveaways in Ramos, Engenho de Dentro and Madureira, and Zeca Pagodinho set to hand out 500 bags in Barra da Tijuca.
• The devotion also shows up in naming trends, with Anoreg‑RJ counting thousands registered as Cosme or Damião in the state and noting a sharp decline in recent decades despite the streetside tradition’s resilience.