Culture of Brazil
Catholic. Many other beliefs over time have been incorporated into the Brazilian catholic belief system such as Spiritism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Judaism. Many Catholics do not view Protestants as Christians and the vice-versa is also true. A majority of the population are non-practicing catholics and would actually be considered agnostics in many circles.
The Five Sub-Cultures
The geography of Brazil makes it a country of many faces. The five official regions of Brazil were thought to divide the country between its cultural feats.
People in the Northern states tend to be spread out. The Amazon River allows hundreds of small communities to live independent of the outside world, depending only for medicine and some food supply from traders. Indian culture is very hierarchical. Tribes still exist living solely off the river and its surrounding natural resources. Their religions usually are nature-related, relying heavily on ancestral worship. The exception to this might be the cities of Manaus and Belém which both are centers for a more westernized learning and industry and tends to appear more included within the mainstream brazilian culture.
In what is called the Northeastern states people in the countryside areas usually live in a feudal relationship with their land owners. Droughts are very common and the whole countryside Northeast is called sertão, a short version for the portuguese word "desertão" which means "big desert". This is the less developed region of Brazil and is often blamed by the rest of Brazilians for the country's ugly social indexes. Altough that poverty, this region is strongly influential in brazilian culture. Several brazilian painters, sculptors, and writters was born in this region. Caetano Veloso was born in Bahia and is among the greatest popular musicians Brazil has ever produced. Continually active since the 1960s, Veloso is considered one of the founding fathers of MPB (musica popular brasileira).
In the Southeastern part of Brazil is found most of the culture that is known world-wide. Among these there is a sculptor known by the name of Aleijadinho (little cripple). Aleijadinho was a brilliant baroque sculptor who was maimed in hands and feet. He is famous for his carvings found in the Church of St. Francisco in Ouro Preto. He is also known for his statues known as the Twelve Prophets. Antonio Carlos Jobim, the composer of "Girl from Ipanema", is probably one of the better known artists coming from this section of Brazil. Another famous composer is Heitor Villa-Lobos. Villa-Lobos is most famous for his orchestral works such his Choro series. Samba was created in Bahia but just started being a definitive feature of Brazilian culture when it had hit the shores of Rio de Janeiro.
The South is highly influenced by european later immigration, which took place by the 19th-20th centuries. The Germanic and Italian influences are clearly felt, especially in terms of appearance. There is even an annual Oktoberfest held in the city of Blumenau. Brazilian top model Gisele Bundchen came from this region. The gaucho subculture is also very appeasing in this region.
The West Central part of the country is primarily grasslands and flooded lands. The countries surrounding it are very influential in affecting its culture, notably Paraguay. The extensive cattle economy also makes this region the motherland of Brazilian cowboys.
Day to Day
In Brazil, a person might come to your house and not leave for hours. If you have previous commitments it is understood you will break these and entertain your guests until they decide to leave. Meetings and social gatherings, other than in business settings, tend to be scheduled at times that are subject to change. Usually this means a Brazilian will rarely be on time. There is a folkloric exception for the people from Minas Gerais. They are acknowledged to come to a meeting in the day before.
Brazilians are also very mixed in their ethnicity. A person with slightly lighter skin might be considered white. Most Brazilians have a mixture of Indian, African, and European in their blood lines. Brazilians are also a very loud people. Instead of focusing on ethnicity, Brazilians tend to classify people in terms of social class. The very wealthy tend to seclude themselves. The middle class aspires to be part of the wealthier class. The poor concern themselves with family and getting through the day.
When thinking of a Brazilian, you might envision the Italian family in their large gatherings where literally dozens of conversations are taking place.
A Curiosity about Coffee
It is interesting to note that most Brazilians drink coffee for breakfast everday. In fact, the word for "breakfast" means "coffee in the morning" (café da manhã) in Portuguese. Coffee was possibly consumed in earlier days because this biggest production starts in Brazil, in the politics of Café com leite (reference to Brazil's domination by the "coffee oligarchs"), when the product is included in the culture.
See Also
