How is the New Year celebrated in Brazil? Brazilian New Year Traditions New Year in Brazil Traditions and Customs
This is the only state on this continent where the Portuguese language is officially adopted. This is due to the fact that for a long time the country was a colony of Portugal. The latter played a big role in the development of the culture of this amazing country.
New Year's Eve Celebration in Brazil
Historical monuments and preserved traditions, which have no analogues in the world, attract the attention of tourists from many European countries. The article tells about how the New Year is celebrated in Brazil. The traditions of the celebration will also be considered.
One of the most popular holidays for Brazilians is the New Year. In European countries, this is a winter holiday. In Brazil, this celebration is considered summer. Since at this time the weather is hot in the country, which is an unusual phenomenon for guests from Europe.
Where does it all begin?
New Year in Brazil is traditionally celebrated from the first days of December. Then the streets of cities and towns are decorated with multi-colored garlands, dance floors are erected, Christmas trees are set up in the central squares. In many countries, the New Year is considered a family holiday, where family members gather around the table.
What happens at midnight?
How is the New Year celebrated in Brazil? Most often this happens in a cafe, restaurant, in the circle of a noisy company, or just Brazilians spend New Year's Eve on one of the city's beaches.
The indigenous people of this state have an interesting custom: at the time of the New Year's Eve, exactly at midnight, eat twelve grapes and at the same time make a wish that must come true. Brazilians do not have the traditional New Year's chiming clock. The last seconds of the celebration are loudly counted out loud, and the first seconds of the New Year are marked by colorful fireworks.
Main holiday
After the fireworks, the main celebration begins, which is dancing and performing folk songs to the sound of drums. The New Year in Brazil passes without the fabulous Santa Claus and Snow Maiden familiar to Europeans. The fact is that Christmas (December 24) is considered the main celebration. Therefore, gifts are presented on Christmas days. The specificity of the celebration of the New Year lies in the fact that this country has historically combined African, European and Indian customs and rituals.
New Year in Brazil is called Reveillon (translated from Portuguese - fraternization). Only on this festive night, the indigenous people of more than 205 million people call each other brother or sister, forgive all insults and promise to be friendly. It so happened historically that the Catholic religion and African ritual rites have become commonplace in the life of Brazilians.
On the eve of the New Year, everyone tries to appease their saint Oryx and the goddess Iemanzha (the mother goddess, the patroness of women, is the personification of the Ogun River). A legend that has come down to our time says that in the past, slaves were brought to Brazil from the African continent. They were forced to accept the Catholic faith and attend church services. But many did not want to give up their faith - Candomblé (African religion). It is based on the worship of the Orisha spirits. Therefore, in this religion, it is customary to believe that every person is watched by a saint, who is called Oryx.
A legend that has been passed down from generation to generation says that Iemanja, the queen of the seas, loves dancing, flowers and fun. On New Year's Eve, according to tradition, every Brazilian who wants his wish to come true sets a candle and flowers on a stand, then sends it adrift into the sea.
Believers believe that if the candle burns for a long time, then the desire may come true. In the case of the return of the raft to the shore, the desire must be repeated, but only the next year. Girls throw a wreath of white flowers into the water and make a wish for a successful marriage. This centuries-old tradition is accompanied by songs and ritual dances that are passed on to new generations.
modern celebration
The modern celebration of the New Year in Brazil takes place with magnificent fireworks that are launched by pyrotechnics. They are on specially designed rafts towed out to sea. After the fireworks, discos and concerts with the participation of world pop stars begin to work on the beach areas. In the shallow reservoir of Rodrigo de Freitas (a bay connected by a canal to the Atlantic Ocean), every year on the eve of the New Year holidays, an eighty-meter floating Christmas tree is installed on a powerful platform. It is considered the highest in the world.
Traditions
European tourists are also interested in the traditions of celebrations that can only be found in this country. For example, throwing unnecessary papers from government offices right out of the windows onto the street. Thus, employees say goodbye to the passing old working year. And these days the streets turn white without snow cover.
And in the largest city, Rio de Janeiro, a cannon shot rumbles at midnight. There is a popular belief: if a Brazilian kisses a loved one at this moment, then the new year will be successful for him. Those wishing to celebrate the celebration on the beaches come in white attire, as it is believed that this color brings good luck. During the first volley of New Year's fireworks, in order for the year to be successful, you need to jump seven times and at the same time wish all the best to your neighbor standing next to you.
National dishes
Every country in the world has its own national dishes. In this country, on New Year's Eve, the indigenous people do not eat poultry dishes. It is believed that there were a lot of birds before. But man, using bird meat for food, reduced their number on Earth. Therefore, this type of dish means a return to the past without hope for the future.
New Year's menu
Tourists arriving to celebrate the New Year in Brazil can, in any restaurant or cafe, observing traditional hospitality, offer a New Year's menu: feijoada, Brazilian coffee and Brazilian desserts. Feijoada, which was invented by African slaves about 300 years ago, is an amazing-tasting dish made from black beans and various types of meat with the addition of certain spices.
Then the world-famous coffee - kofetsino (in European - espresso) is served. It is prepared according to a special recipe, although the Brazilians themselves consider cocoa to be their favorite drink. Coffee is served with the most popular dessert in this country. By the way, it can only be found in Brazil. It's called a brigadeiro. This dessert is made with condensed milk.
How is New Year celebrated in Brazil? Friendly and cheerful Brazilians organize this holiday on a grand scale. It gradually turns into the famous February carnival in compliance with the centuries-old traditions of the ancestors. Therefore, street garlands and New Year decorations on houses are not removed until the four-day dance and music festival.
A small conclusion
Tourists of this sunny country have the opportunity to enjoy the unique and amazing traditions of celebrating the New Year in Brazil. This holiday is unusual in its beauty and color, and the days spent among the hospitable Brazilians leave the best memories for a long time.
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Especially for those who are already tired of looking at New Year's greetings with the participation of the same actors, at snowdrifts and Olivier salad, exotic countries offer a qualitatively new entertainment program.
It is summer in Brazil at this time - why not visit this hot continent?
Price tags for New Year's tours to the South American country start at about 3000 USD + flight. Pleasure for not very poor compatriots. However, according to eyewitnesses, it is clearly worth it.
Celebration traditions
Do not forget that Brazil is in another hemisphere, which makes it even more unusual for the New Year. Local authorities and residents install numerous artificial Christmas trees, decorate the facades of commercial buildings and even government agencies with them.
The largest artificial spruce is being installed in Rio de Janeiro, right on the water of the local lake. There are legends that it was designed by Brazilian engineers who saw live snow and a real Christmas tree. They say it turned out pretty similar.
To be completely honest, the New Year in Brazil actually has a slightly different character.
In fact, this is a holiday of the Brazilian goddess of water, whom the people are diligently trying to appease and try to agree with her not to die in the sea next year.
In any case, this is the historical background of the action. Brazilians carry white flowers and yellow candles to the water, which they float, and the flowers are simply thrown onto the surface of the water.
It is worth noting that the whole process of celebrating the New Year begins at about six in the evening local time and continues exactly until midnight, when a grandiose pyrotechnic show starts.
Where to celebrate the New Year
The largest festivities take place on one of the most popular beaches of Copacabana, which is on the south coast of Rio. On the eve of the holiday, about three million people gather on the beach: someone with candles and flowers, someone just to look, tourists and pickpockets - they all meet in one place on the beach. And then fun begins, a holiday, confusion and vacillation and mass fraternization of everyone with everyone.
Those who do not welcome a large crowd of people are advised to book rooms in hotels overlooking the coast of the beach in order to be able to slowly observe everything that happens from the balcony and not find themselves in the epicenter of a huge crowd.
For those who do not like mass festivities, but want to celebrate beautifully, numerous hotels and themed clubs offer their private parties.
Culmination of the holiday
On the beach on New Year's Eve is always a lot of fun. Not a single decent holiday passes without a carnival, and the New Year at Copacabana is no exception. After all the flowers are thrown and the candles are lowered into the water, the crowd begins to count out loud the last seconds until the New Year. After the incendiary fireworks, unbridled fun and carnival begin, and then dancing begins, and until the last Brazilian falls from fatigue, the party does not end.
Incredibly cheerful, cheerful and sociable Brazilians are very fond of holidays and know how to celebrate them with pleasure and scope. So, unlike Christmas, spent with family and loved ones, the New Year in Brazil is traditionally prescribed to be celebrated outside the home, in a noisy company of friends. On the eve of this fun holiday, the bright and colorful streets of big and small Brazilian cities turn white. The reason for this is not snow, which few people have seen in this sultry country, just office workers throw old stationery right out of the windows, thus symbolizing that the old working year is over. What other traditions do Brazil have and what do they symbolize, we will tell in this article.
So hot and… summery!
Since Brazil is located in December in it - one of the sultry summer months. Since November, local merchants have been selling colorful garlands and lanterns, artificial fir trees and other elements and symbols, characteristic of the New Year traditions of different countries. Brazilians are happy to decorate their homes and offices, shop windows and streets with all this decor. In this decoration, the streets will stand until the famous Brazilian carnivals held in February. Given the hot tropical climate and summer, New Year's celebrations in Brazil take place on city streets and squares, as well as on beautiful beaches. The traditional New Year's costume in Brazil is any white clothing.
European-African motifs
The celebration of the new calendar year, similar to the Brazilian one, cannot be imagined in any other country in the world. After all, it was here that African, Indian and European beliefs, rituals, customs and traditions of the New Year of different countries were closely intertwined and merged into a single culture. The official name of this holiday is Confraternização, which means “fraternization” in Brazilian Portuguese, but its French name, Reveillon, has taken root among the locals. Only on festive occasions, Brazilians are ready to call everyone their friend, brother or sister and want to forget and forgive all insults and quarrels.
As in most countries that profess Catholicism, there is no tradition in Brazil to receive congratulations from Santa Claus, who is called Papai Noel here, since he fulfills his mission on this holiday - December 24th.
Traditions
As noted above, Brazilians consider the New Year a public holiday celebrated in the company of friends. Despite this, they have their own peculiar traditions of the New Year. Since there are no familiar and beloved chimes in this country, all the noisy and cheerful companies that have gathered on the city streets, squares and beaches are counting out the last moments until the next year. Exactly at midnight, the black sky is colored with fountains of fireworks, this is how they celebrate the New Year in Brazil. Traditions prescribe to everyone who wants and is lucky to jump seven times in the very first minutes and wish others happiness in the coming year. Brazilians are also sure that if you make a wish on New Year's Eve and eat twelve grapes, then it will certainly come true.
rituals
This holiday is held taking into account both European and Indian traditions and customs, as well as African rituals, which are closely intertwined and are the basis of the theatrical action that unfolds when the locals celebrate the New Year in Brazil. The African-style celebration scenario can be seen, first of all, on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro. It is believed that the time when the old year leaves, and the new one comes to replace it, is optimal for communicating with spirits and appeasing them in order to soften the attitude towards people.
The Catholic faith and African rituals have firmly entered the life of the Brazilians, and each of them, on the eve of the upcoming New Year, tries to make sacrifices and appease his personal saint - the oryx and the sea lord, the goddess Iemanzhu.
What are these gods?
Let's talk a little about who Iemanju and oryx are. The fact is that the Portuguese brought many slaves from Africa to Brazil and forcibly baptized them into the Catholic faith. Forced Africans had to comply with all the religious prescriptions of the church and go to services. However, they did not want to give up their traditional faith - candomblé - and managed to keep it. According to the ideas accepted in this religion, each person is "looked after" by a personal god or saint, called Oryx.
Legends say that the mistress of the seas, Iemanju, is a beautiful woman with hair the color of moonlit paths creeping along the sea surface. She loves fun, dancing and flowers. New Year in Brazil is traditionally prescribed to start with the offering of flowers and candles to Iemanju. Everyone who wants to worship the sea goddess sets candles and fresh flowers on a special wooden stand-raft and, having made a wish, sends it all into the sea. The longer the candle sent to the sea burns, the more likely it is that the plan will come true. If the raft is washed back to the shore, then the wish will need to be repeated the next year. Those who seek to get the maximum favor of the African goddess decorate the raft with mirrors and put sweets and rice, soap and perfume on it. Offerings to the formidable Iemanzhu, the mistress of the sea waters, are held under ritual prayers and singing and are accompanied by special dances.
Modern holiday
In addition to the observed African rituals, the modern celebration of the New Year in Brazil is not complete without a peaceful cannonade, opening champagne and luxurious pyrotechnics. About a million locals and tourists watch the fireworks launched from special rafts installed in the sea. And in the Freitas Lagoon, against the backdrop of a huge sculpture of the Savior, spreading his arms over the city, the world's tallest floating Christmas tree - 82 meters - competes in the brightness of the lights with the festive fireworks.
But city streets and squares are not inferior to beaches and lagoons in terms of the use of pyrotechnics. Cascades of lights pour down from the roofs and balconies of houses and hotels, and a huge airship flies over all this, from where New Year's greetings sound.
Until the early morning music plays, crowds of people dance to incendiary melodies and firecrackers and fireworks.
New Year's Eve is a great time to travel, so don't be surprised that this is the time when you can meet a huge number of tourists in Rio. New Year in Rio de Janeiro is a big event not only for visitors, but also for local residents, so people come not only from other countries and all over Brazil, but also from all over the city to look at the famous fireworks at Copacabana. There really is something to look at, in what, what, and the Brazilians obviously know a lot about the show.
New Year at Copacabana
As noted earlier, the main "mecca" this night is the Copacabana beach. It is from here, from the platforms located on the water, that the grandiose, world-famous salute is launched, and it is here that most of the inhabitants of Rio and the guests of the city flock.
Better get ready right away - it will be crowded! Every year, millions of people gather at the main site of Brazil (in 2018 - three million), so you should think in advance whether you are ready for such a crush (and there will be a crush!) Or you should consider alternative options.
How to spend New Year's Eve in Rio de Janeiro
Every year, on the beach, opposite the famous Copacabana Palace hotel, a huge stage is set up on which the main Brazilian celebrities perform. It's an interesting and beautiful show, but it's worth thinking twice about whether you really want to be in the thick of things or just being nearby will be enough. At the very epicenter of the crowd, the crush is so strong that you can hardly breathe (not to mention moving your arm or leg), so if you are not mentally prepared for such a turn of events, do not spoil your holiday, think in advance where you can meet the New Year
The simplest and most economical advice is not to get into the thick of things. At a time when the Copacabana Palace area is really crowded, at the beginning and at the end of Copacabana beach, there is enough space to comfortably sit on the sand and celebrate the New Year by the ocean. Wherever you are, you still cannot miss the main show - the fireworks are so huge that in Rio de Janeiro there is hardly a place from where it would not be visible. In addition, being in close proximity to the water will allow you to celebrate the holiday, following the Brazilian New Year traditions, which will be discussed later.
If you still want to be closer to the epicenter of events, a good option would be to book a table in one of the many mini-bars located directly on the Copacabana embankment. During the holidays, their territory is fenced, so it will be very comfortable to be inside. True, for this, most likely we will have to take care of it in advance - announcements about booking free places begin to appear in early December.
If you do not like large crowds and want to celebrate the New Year in a relaxed atmosphere, the most comfortable, but also the most expensive option is to book a hotel on the coastline. Of course, those rooms whose windows overlook the ocean are booked and redeemed much in advance, however, unlike booking a table on the beach, you can book a room in advance, even at the trip planning stage.
By the way, in the absence of suitable rooms, you can go for a little trick and try to look for any hotels located in the immediate vicinity of the beach. Many hotels have a lounge area on the roof (the so-called roof bars), where you can also enjoy the show quite comfortably and calmly.
Exotic options to celebrate the new year
However, even if celebrating the New Year in another country, on one of the most famous beaches in the world, is not exotic for you, there are other options for making this holiday unforgettable. One of these options is to celebrate the New Year at the sights of Rio de Janeiro, for example, a gala dinner and show program can be booked at places such as the Statue of Christ the Redeemer or the mountains of Pão de Açucar and Urca. Of course, the price tag for such a luxury will be quite high, but it is well worth it!
Brazilian New Year Traditions
And yet, how to celebrate the New Year so that it turns out to be truly Brazilian? The first is color. The main color of the New Year is white. In Brazil, there is a tradition to celebrate the New Year in the color you want to see next year. White means peace and purity, yellow means money, red means love, and so on.
Despite such a variety of options, the vast majority of Brazilians still prefer white, and it may well turn out that the most vivid memory of this night will be thousands of mulattos in white dresses with hairstyles decorated with white flowers. The spectacle is truly amazing.
Another beautiful tradition is throwing flowers into the water and making wishes. From the very morning, enterprising traders take places on the beaches, selling flowers for tourists and locals. Someone throws one flower, someone bouquets, if there are no other options, even petals will do. Be that as it may, this is another beautiful tradition.
And the last thing to do so that happiness certainly does not slip away from you in the New Year is to jump over the waves. Perhaps this is metaphorically related to overcoming difficulties, or maybe just child's play, but for everything to work for sure, you need to jump over seven waves.
In general, the New Year in Rio de Janeiro is a great opportunity to try something new, the opportunity to immerse yourself in another culture and the opportunity to see a truly beautiful show with your own eyes. If you plan ahead, know what to prepare for and what to expect, this event will most likely become one of the most memorable in your life! Feliz Ano Novo amigos!
Brazil is an amazing country. Anyone who visits this fabulous place once will certainly want to come back here again. Everyone knows the proverb: “As you meet the New Year, so you will spend it”, so we suggest meeting it to the incendiary rhythms on the Copacabana beach.
At the end of December, tourists from all over the world come to Brazil. After all, it is here, on the Copacabana beach on New Year's Eve, that you can see stunning fireworks, make your most cherished wish, drink a glass of sparkling wine or champagne, and then dance and have fun until the morning. And you definitely need to celebrate New Year's Eve in all white, because according to popular beliefs, this will definitely bring happiness.
You can get to Rio de Janeiro from Moscow on your own by digging plane:
- British Airways with a stopover in London
- TAP Portugal with transfer in Lisbon
- Alitalia with a transfer in Rome (one of the most convenient ways to get to Rio de Janeiro)
- KLM with change in Amsterdam
- Swiss with change in Lisbon
- Iberia with change in Madrid
- Air Frae with transfer in Paris
- Lufthansa with a change in Frankfurt am Main
- Aeroflot with transfer in Frankfurt
- Emirates with transfer in Dubai
- Delta with a layover in New York.
As you may have guessed, there are no direct flights to Rio de Janeiro. To buy tickets at a bargain price, we recommend that you subscribe to the airlines' data mailing list in advance and follow promotions and sales.
Whichever airline you choose, your plane will land at Galeano International anyway. As for the visa regime, residents of Russia do not need a visa to enter the country with a tourist purpose and a stay of up to 90 days.
When crossing the border, you will only need to present a valid passport for the entire duration of the trip and, of course, a return ticket, because no one will be happy with immigrants, and there are a lot of them here. Of course, if there are suspicions about your account, they may be asked to show a hotel reservation or proof that you have enough money for a carefree vacation.
Brazilians love holidays and know how to have fun. If a holiday is planned in the near future, then they approach its organization with great responsibility and attention. That is why many tourists are already carefully planning their New Year holidays in Brazil. But since the hot climate of the southern hemisphere is not conducive to fun under the bright sun, holidays in Brazil begin in the evening and last all night.
As soon as the waves of the ocean light up with the last rays of the setting sun, locals and thousands of guests in unison begin to see off the old and celebrate the new year. No one is left behind, because this is a holiday that everyone is waiting for.
When in Russia the weather is not at all conducive to a pleasant outdoor recreation, when everything is covered with snow and frost prevails, summer is in full swing in Rio de Janeiro. But the heat does not stop the locals from getting ready for the long-awaited night. Already a few months before the holiday, Christmas trees are set up, though artificial, but no less charming. They are dressed up with traditional decorations, and the streets are illuminated with multi-colored illuminations.
At the same time, not only public places are decorated, but also private houses. Brazilians decorate their homes themselves with Christmas trees and other traditional decorations. All this beauty pleases the eye until mid-January. And all this time people have fun and have a great time on holidays with their friends, acquaintances and relatives.
The Brazilian New Year's Carnival is a unique combination of ancient rituals with European culture. Indeed, many tourists are attracted by the New Year's carnival in Rio de Janeiro, as this is a truly unforgettable holiday. If for Europeans New Year; Since this is a family holiday, an opportunity to spend the day with relatives, relatives and friends, then for the people of Brazil this is a great opportunity to appease the spirits, following the traditions of Afro-Indian ancestors.
Every year they prepare gifts for the African goddess Imange, who, according to legend, was the patroness of all sailors. The gifts of the goddess are candles, which are set and set on fire on a special stand made of wood, emit it into the water, making the most cherished wish and observe. If the candle does not go out for a long time, then it is more likely that the wish made will come true in the near future.
Brazilians also carry white flowers as gifts. That is why, when heading to Brazil to celebrate the New Year holidays, do not forget that you will need to buy a bouquet. Throwing them into the water, the Brazilians make a wish, and if the flowers are not thrown ashore by the surf, the wish will come true.
The holiday by the sea starts at 10 pm. Closer to midnight, you can hear numerous pops of opening champagne corks, until by 12 they merge into a continuous cannonade. The cherished seconds before the onset of the New Year, the Brazilians loudly count down right on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, and immediately after that, a magnificent pyrotechnic show begins.
Thousands of people in white clothes are illuminated by the light of a grandiose salute, the sparks of which fall into the ocean. This spectacle is so wonderful that it is worth going to the other side of the world to see it. That is why the New Year's holiday in Rio de Janeiro is worth spending together with your loved ones, giving a carefree holiday and a great mood.
In the first minutes of the coming New Year, everyone congratulates each other, shouting “Feliz Ano Novo!” (which means “Happy New Year!” in translation) and drink sparkling drinks while looking at the fireworks.
While the New Year's fireworks, ascending into the sky, illuminate the ocean and the millions of people who meet it on the Copacabana beach, one of the most unique Christmas trees in the world shines with its beauty in the lagoon di Freitas (its height is more than eighty meters) and it is installed on the water .
New Year's holiday in Rio de Janeiro this year will not be an exception and during the celebration will please its guests with an excellent Christmas tree, which will decorate the whole holiday. The lights of the fireworks, flickering in the night, illuminate the statue of Christ the Redeemer, blessing the beautiful city and its cheerful inhabitants.
For many Russians, Brazil is a country of hot beaches, noisy carnivals and long-running soap operas. But few people know how religious this country is, and how much its inhabitants honor all the holidays associated with Christianity and other beliefs.
Christmas occupies a special place among other Brazilian holidays, since the day of the birth of the Savior Jesus for every inhabitant of the Latin American country becomes not just another celebration. For the holiday. As with many things in their lives, temperamental Brazilians approach it in a very unusual way.
Christmas in Brazil takes place at a temperature of +35 ° C - here it is the height of summer in the Southern Hemisphere. Residents who do not have the opportunity to experience all the charm of the "snow" pleasure, decorate the Christmas tree with cotton flakes. To date, artificial snow has appeared on sale, and Brazilians have learned to use it instead of cotton wool.
Most of the Brazilian population is very devout and tries to attend festive church services. In the temples here, a traditional Christmas mass is celebrated, which is called the "Mass of the Rooster", in honor of the bird that heralds the arrival of Christmas morning.
Important: The celebration of Christmas in different regions may vary significantly. For example, a whole series of Christmas events take place in Gramado - this is the appearance in the city park of the Santa Claus Village and the Wish Tree, the Bear Chalet and the toy factory. As well as many festive concerts, presentations and fireworks. But in Rio de Janeiro for Christmas, an unusual floating Christmas tree appears, which is installed in the lagoon.
But the Christmas miracle in Brazil begins traditionally for all Catholic countries - on Christmas Eve.
December 24
Many Brazilians December 24- a day off, although, even if work falls on it, all the inhabitants of the country have long been ready for the holiday - they begin to buy gifts and products for the festive table here in a few months.
As for the decoration of houses, here the Brazilians are trying in many ways to surpass European Catholics, if not in scale, then at least in originality. In addition to the mentioned artificial snow, garlands, multi-colored street lights, and other illuminations are actively used. By the way, a Christmas tree in Brazil is not a cheap pleasure, so it is often replaced with more affordable palm trees.
Christmas Eve is held in Brazil in several stages. First, all relatives must gather in the house of their parents, or better, grandparents, to pay tribute to those who bear the title of the oldest family member. Gifts are also exchanged here - they can be given right on the same day, Brazilians do not adhere to strict traditions, although conservative families always keep them until the next morning.
After the relatives have talked, the preparation of the main meal of the year begins - Christmas dinner. It consists of several obligatory dishes, which are very different from those dishes that are usually served in neighboring countries.
The main decoration of the table, of course, becomes turkey, or any other large bird. Brazilians remain conservative in this, but the filling of a baked dish can be very original. Most often, it is stuffed with rice in combination with any fruit that grows on Brazilian plantations. Some gourmets are not shy about experimenting, combining poultry meat, for example, with pork.
Another must-have dish on the Brazilian holiday table is feijoada- a kind of stew of black beans, bacon, meat and sweet ingredients. For a long time it was considered a dish of slaves working on plantations, but after the liberation of Brazil from colonial dependence, the entire population recognized this culinary delight as a national recipe. Now, not a single Christmas is complete without fried meat with beans under an orange and raisin side dish.
After preparations, many Brazilians leave for solemn services. Interestingly, the so-called Cock masses everyone attends - from young to old, and not just the older generation. Actually, this does not prevent young people from running out into the streets immediately after the church sermon and joining the bright carnival processions.
And these parades are unique to a certain extent, and have no analogues in the world. Thousands of people dress in the brightest costumes, false beards, and, depicting the three biblical wise men, walk in friendly formation to the incendiary music. The action is so unusual for the European audience that the Brazilians themselves jokingly call this part of the holiday Parade of Mad Kings. The largest of these parades takes place annually in the city of São Paulo.
Christmas parades come to an end, most often, in areas of local beaches, where a colorful program is being prepared for Brazilians with discos and theatrical performances. It lasts, as a rule, until the morning - such is the nature of the Brazilians, even the bright holiday of Christmas is celebrated in the incessant rhythm of Latin American dances.
31th of December
The logical continuation of the Christmas celebrations in Brazil is the celebration New Year, which, after several working days at the end of December, becomes a pleasant occasion to relax and pay tribute to traditions.
These traditions are spelled out in the very name of the holiday - in Portuguese it sounds like " Reveillon"-" fraternization. For Brazilians, this is a kind of continuation of Christmas and at the same time their own version of our “Forgiveness Sunday”. December 31st each inhabitant of the country in the eyes of another is a brother or sister. Brazilians make sure to call all relatives and friends to ask for forgiveness for past grievances and forgive offenders.
The black population of Brazil, which is about 10%, celebrates the New Year in its own way, in compliance with the most ancient African rituals that have been preserved even over the years of exploitation.
This tradition is dedicated to the cult of the goddess Yemanji, which has long been assimilated with the cult of the Christian Mother of God, but continues to be one of the revered persons in the pagan beliefs of the Brazilians. Before the New Year, thousands of people go to the sea coast with gifts and a statue of the goddess to make a wish, make a sacrifice, and send tribute to sail freely in the sea - after all, Yemanja is the patroness of all sailors.
Rice, sweets, women's jewelry and even perfume, which ideally should be of its own production, acts as a sacrifice to the goddess. The beaches during the colorful ritual are decorated with candles and incense, which should not go out - otherwise the wish will not come true.
When the ritual is completed, many of the cult's followers return to their homes to join the traditional Christian New Year. By the way, from the Portuguese-Spanish world, the Brazilians borrowed the tradition of eating 12 grapes on New Year's Eve and making wishes in the last seconds of the outgoing year.
Rio de Janeiro becomes the main city of Brazil's New Year's celebrations, namely, the statue of Christ the Redeemer, over which, with the 12th strike of a stylized clock, colorful flashes of fireworks soar, well, and the city itself turns into a huge festive platform.
January 1st is an official holiday in Brazil, so the fun, like Christmas, will last until the morning.
