Culture of Brazil

Hello again!

This time, we'll be talking about the culture and tradition of Brazil instead.

Brazil have a multi-ethnic population which consists of white 53.7%, mulatto (mixed white and black) 38.5%, black 6.2%, other (includes Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 0.9% and lastly, unspecified 0.7%

 Some culture facts about Brazil...

• Brazil is a mixture of races and ethnicities, resulting in rich diversity. 
• Many original Portuguese settlers married native women, which created a new race, called 'mestizos'.
• Mulattoes' are descendents of the Portuguese and African slaves.
• Slavery was abolished in 1888, creating over time a further blurring of racial lines.
• Unlike many other Latin American countries where there is a distinct Indian population, Brazilians have intermarried to the point that it sometimes seems that almost everyone has a combination of European, African and indigenous ancestry.
• The family is the foundation of the social structure and forms the basis of stability for most people.
• Families tend to be large (although family size has been diminishing in recent years) and the extended family is quite close. 
• The individual derives a social network and assistance in times of need from the family. 
• Nepotism is considered a positive thing, since it implies that employing people one knows and trusts is of primary importance. 
• Despite the mixing of ethnicities, there is a class system in Brazil.
• Few Brazilians could be described as racist, although social discrimination on the basis of skin colour is a daily occurrence.
• In general, people with darker brown skin are economically and socially disadvantaged. 
• The middle and upper classes often have only brief interaction with the lower classes - usually maids, drivers, etc. 
• Class is determined by economic status and skin colour. 
• There is a great disparity in wage differentials--and therefore lifestyle and social aspirations--among the different classes
• Although women make up 40% of the Brazilian workforce, they are typically found in lower paid jobs such as teaching, administrative support, and nursing. 
• The 1988 constitution prohibits discrimination against women, but inequities still exist. The one place where women are achieving equality is in the government. 

Some traditions of Brazil...

• Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art practised widely, but whose origins lie with the African sections of the populace. Black slaves learnt the art as a means of self-defence and self-discipline to help tolerate the tough lives they led under the plantation owners.
• Soccer is a sport which, although invented in Britain, has found popularity worldwide and in particular in Brazil. Arguably, some of the best teams and players the sport has ever seen have come from Brazil. Heroes such as Pele have inspired generations of poor yet passionate Brazilians to take up the sport and dream of achieving success.
• Brazil is predominantly a Catholic country, but the diversity of its people often manifests itself in a unique mix of religious practises, such as Candomble for example. This is a fusion of African and Catholic religious doctrine and is only found in Brazil.
• Brazil is famous for its carnivals and celebrations, again representing the fusion of African, Portuguese and native Indian cultures. Lemanja is a celebration observed by followers of the Candomble religion. Thousands of worshippers line the beach at Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro to give thanks to the goddess of the seas. They wear white and offer flowers and gifts by placing them in the sea. Salvador is the location for Boa Morte, a three day religious celebration combining music, dance and religion. The name literally translates as “Beautiful Death”.
• The Samba is a distinctively Brazilian style of music and has its historical roots in the traditions of the Bantu people who came to Brazil from Angola in Africa. Samba music is characterised by a strong beat accompanied by a guitar and has influenced other forms of Brazilian music such as Bossa Nova. It remains a very popular form of traditional music for many Brazilians.

Some important dates in Brazil...

• The Feast of the Three Kings, 6 January. Children go door to door singing songs and requesting gifts. This tradition has almost died out in urban areas, but survives in the interior.
• Carnival, variable dates, from late January to March. Brazil's famous four-day "national party" preceding Ash Wednesday is marked by street parades, samba, music, parties, and elaborate costumes. Its forms vary from city to city and region to region. The most popular street carnivals are in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Recife, Olinda, and Salvador.
• Tiradentes Day, 2 April. Tiradentes (literally, tooth-puller) was leader of the Minas Conspiracy, the most important early movement for Brazilian independence. When the Portuguese Crown discovered Tiradentes was leading an independence movement, he was hanged and quartered in the public square in Vila Rica, a town in Minas Gerais.
• Festas Juninas (June Festivals), June. Brazilians celebrate a series of popular festivals with origins in Roman Catholic tradition. The feasts of Saint Anthony (13 June), Saint John (24 June) and Saint Peter (29 June) are marked by huge bonfires, traditional foods and games, square dancing, and parties for children. Urban children dress up like hillbillies during these Festivals.
• Brazilian Independence Day, 7 September. Brazil was a colony of Portugal until 1822 when Pedro I, the crown prince, declared its independence from the mother country.
• Nossa Senhora Aparecida (Our Lady Aparecida), 12 October. The Feast of Nossa Senhora Aparecida, the patron saint of Brazil, is a legal holiday.
• Proclamation of the Republic, 15 November. This holiday celebrates the demise of the Brazilian Empire and the proclamation of the republic in 1889.
• New Year's Eve, 31 December. Thousands of followers of Afro-Brazilian religions celebrate New Year's Eve on Brazil's beaches to honor Yemanjá, goddess of the sea.