In the North and Northeast regions of Brazil, ‘fandango’ is a popular spectacle that envelops romance, dance, music, anecdotes, sayings, legends and prayers. It is a festival to honour sailors which takes place at Christmas time.

Câmara Cascudo points out in his Dictionary of Brazilian Folklore that, according to tradition, the Holy Family retreated to a cave (in Portuguese, a lapa or grotto), when the Baby Jesus had been born. From this comes the term lapinha.