Folia de Reis is a celebration of Portuguese origin. The celebration is linked to the Catholic cult of Christmas, brought to Brazil in the fifteenth century, and still kept alive in folklore events in many regions of the country. In the city of Paraty, Folia de Reis begins on December 8th is the feast day of Our Lady of Conception and ends onJanuary 20. During this period, different groups of singers and guitarists in traditional music come together at different points in Paraty to recite ancient poems to tell the story of the Birth of Christ.

For centuries, in traditional Brazilian culture, the celebration of Christmas have been celebrated by groups that visited the houses playing happy songs in praise of the "Three Kings" and the Birth of Christ. These festive events extend far more from the ones sctrictly devoted to the Three Wise Men. It is a tradition that originated in Portugal gained momentum especially in the nineteenth century and remains alive in many parts of the country as is the case of Paraty.