World’s Oldest Living Woman Celebrates Her 117th Birthday

Cicera Maria Dos Santas has been reported to be the oldest woman in the world after celebrating her birthday marking the milestone.

Cicera Dos Santos was born on September 23rd 1906. After celebrating her 117th birthday, it would make her a year older than current Guinness World Record holder Maria Branyas Morera, who is from Spain. The 117-year-old celebrated her birthday with her 107-year-old sister Josefa Maria de Conceicao in Brazil.

Cicera has spent nearly her entire life in the Brazilian countryside and attributes her life to keeping a healthy diet and her neverending faith in God. During her working years, Cicera sold chickens at the local market in Paraiba. Her birthday celebration was grand as the media was flooded with celebratory messages for the two sisters. There was a big birthday bash to mark Cicera’s big day.

Cicera’s family have reaffirmed a strong belief in God and believes he has helped them through tough times. Cicera said: “The peace of the Lord be with us. Who can do more than God? Everything is God.” And Josefa told of the importance of their diet: “You have to eat. Beans, corn, cassava, potatoes.”

Slavery took place in Brazil from the middle of the 16th century until its abolition in the 1860s. Josefa’s grandson Ruan said: “They descend from people who were actually enslaved. Five generations ago my family was enslaved. They survived everything from the last century, and they beat Covid. The greatest happiness in the world is to be with them here today.”

The birthday bash included cake, snacks, and a round of applause, with friends and family paying tribute to the two sisters.

In addition, Cicera advised that avoiding toxic people was key to happiness, as was “luck and good genetics.” She has three children, 11 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren, and became the oldest person following the death of 118-year-old French nun Sister Andre.

“Order, tranquillity, good connection with family and friends, contact with nature, emotional stability, no worries, no regrets, lots of positivity, and staying away from toxic people,” said Maria of what was important for living long. While adding: “I think longevity is also about being lucky. Luck and good genetics.”