Brazilian Culture: Enriched by the Diversity of its People

By  Adrian White

Brazil is a country of great honor and pride which is, in a large part, thanks to its deep cultural roots. The cultural prosperity of this country is due to its extremely diverse population and their cultural backgrounds. The people are what breathe life into all that is Brazil whether the topic is food or sports or even celebrations. If it were not for all of the different types of people who live in Brazil bringing their ways of life to the table, Brazil would be seriously lacking in the cultural department.

Technically, if you are a resident of Brazil you are generalized as a Brazilian. Speaking in more demographic terms though, there are many different peoples who inhabit Brazil. For example: Ethnic Groups- white 53.7%, mulatto (mixed white and black) 38.5%, black 6.2%, other (includes Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 0.9%, unspecified 0.7% Religion- Roman Catholic (nominal) 73.6%, Protestant 15.4%, Spiritualist 1.3%, Bantu/voodoo 0.3%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.2%, none 7.4%. The official language of Brazil is Portuguese, which I figure is due to the heavy influence it has received from Portugal over the centuries starting in the sixteenth century. Other languages such as Spanish, English, and French are also spoken in Brazil.

In Brazil, there are five different regions that are separated politically and geographically. These five regions are the north region, the north-east region, the south-east, the south, and the Central-west. Each of these five regions differ from one another in ways such as physical features. The north region takes up most of Brazil and consists mainly of the Amazon River Basin. The north-east region of Brazil is more wilderness and contains things such as forest area, wild lands, and backlands. The south-east region of Brazil is its most populous region and economically contributing as well with thriving industrial production. The south region is Brazil's coldest and smallest region with water sources of great national importance. Finally, the central-west region is basically dominated by the Central-Brazilian Plateau and is divided into three portions: Goiano-Mato Grosso Massif, Parana sedimentation basin and the depressions. This region is utilized for agriculture.

Food is a great aspect of every culture and that goes double for the Brazilians. The diversity of Brazil's people has brought about a cornucopia of cooking styles. Every region of Brazil has produced its own cooking styles. In the north region, people live on a diet of fish, root vegetables such as manioc, yams, peanuts, palm and tropical fruits. The dishes in this region have heavy Indian influence. One popular meal is Caruru do Par. This consists of a one-pot meal of dried shrimp, okra, onion, tomato, cilantro, and dend oil.

The north-east region within the State of Bahia has a sort of Afro-Bahian feel when it comes to cuisine which uses the locally available ingredients. Within the remainder of the coastal plains there is less African influence but seafood and tropical fruits are still a main part of many dishes. Within the inland, which tends to be a tad dry, dishes contain ingredients like dried meat, rice, beans, goat, manioc, and corn meal.

In the southeast region, cuisine definitely depends on where you are located. In Minas a majority of the dishes contain corn, pork, beans, and an assortment of cheeses. In and around Sao Paulo and Rio popular dishes include feijoada completa, which contains simmered beans and meats, and arroz-feijao (rice and beans). Black beans are traditional to Rio, red or blonde beans are customary to Sao Paulo, and black or red in Minas. Sao Paulo has great European and North African immigrants, some from Arabian countries also.

In the south region, cuisines were contributed to by the gaucho (cowboy) and are made with sun or salt dried meats and churrasco, a meal of wood fire grilled fresh meats. The Germans have had great influence on this region. They introduced things such as wine, leafy vegetables, and dairy products. When potatoes were not available manioc was discovered.

Fish from the important rivers dominates the dishes in the central west region. The famous Panatal is one of the finest game and fishing regions on earth located on the central-west. Agricultural crops such as soybean, rice, com, and manioc are in abundance so you will find them in a majority of the meals. Many such as the Germans, the Portuguese, and the French have influenced food, one of Brazil's biggest aspects of culture. Thanks to them, the Brazilians have a plethora of tasty dishes.

After analyzing all of my research, I have come to a conclusion ... no one can celebrate like the Brazilians. On New Year's Eve in Rio de Janeiro, millions of people swarm the beaches in celebration of the new year. There are fireworks and the music of live shows on the beach fill the night. The people dance the night away to traditional songs as well as those of other countries. The Brazilians also crowd the beaches to celebrate the Festa de Iemanjá. Iemanja is the Goddess of the Water and the mother of all the gods in the religion of Brazil. The Goddess is offered flowers, gifts, perfume, and rice that are sent in little boats that they drift at sea or merely toss in the water. You can also find statues of Iemanja in many Brazilian shops.

Semana Santa is an Easter Week Celebration in the historical city of Ouro Preto. The region includes tremendous silver mines and thirteen magnificent Baroque churches in the city. During this week they have processions that run through all the cobblestoned streets for every one to take part in and there is a marvelous reenactment of the removal of Christ's body from the cross on Good Friday.

One of Brazil's most important holidays is its Independence Day on September 7. On the seventh day of September in the year 1822 Pedro declared Brazil's independence from Portugal near the Iperanga River in Sao Paulo after he received word from the Portuguese Parliament. On this day the people of Brazil celebrate how they received their independence with parties and games, and let's not forget the fireworks.

On April 21, the Brazilian national holiday of Tiradentes is celebrated. This holiday commemorates the execution of Joaquim Jose da Silva Xavier. This man was a merchant, doctor, and dentist. He was unsatisfied with Portuguese rule in Brazil so he led the first organized movement against the Portuguese. When Tiradentes organized a protest, he was jailed and then later executed on April 21, 1792. Today, Tiradente is a national hero and he is celebrated during week-long festivities in which they recall events leading to the great hero's death.

The most discussed of the Brazilian holidays that I have heard about would definitely have to be the ... Carnaval! This celebration was brought about by the Europeans as celebrations before the forty day Lenten season of fasting and prayer. The word "carnival" is derived from the Italians who would say came vale or farewell to meat, which was not consumed during Lent. These celebrations were held in late winter and gave root to the to today's ultimate celebration. This four day and four night celebration is held in Rio de Janeiro and is just simply amazing. Colorful dancers, samba rhythms, parades, and a plain good old time are to be expected at the Carnival! The Samba is a very popular dance, which comes from the West African heritage of Brazil. This tantalizing dance will have you dancing all night with its infectious beat and contagious rhythms that will just pulsate throughout your body. Brazil's holidays and festivities are made great by the different things that other cultures have brought.

This next topic is one that many Brazilians take to heart and o-so-seriously. Sports in Brazil is a huge aspect to the Brazilian culture and it really does bring all of the ethnic groups together. Without sports, Brazil would definitely lose some of its cultural edge. The many sports of the country can once again be attributed to the diversity of the country.

To just about all Brazilians, soccer, or futbol, as it is referred to there, is a life or death matter. Brazilians eat, breathe, and sleep soccer. Soccer is without a doubt the greatest team sport in Brazil. None of the other team sports can come close to the popularity of soccer. The national soccer team of Brazil is globally ranked at number two. The national team has earned ten World Cup honours (5-time FIFA World Cup winners (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994,2002), 2-time FIFA World Cup runners-up (1950, 1998), and twice finished in 3rd place (1938, 1978). They have won eleven continental titles (Copa America 7 times (1919, 1922, 1949, 1989, 1993, 1997, 1999), Pan American Cup 4 times (1963, 1975 with Mexico, 1979, 1987) First International: Argentina 3 - 0 Brazil (Buenos Aires, Argentina; August 20, 1914) Largest win: Brazil 9 - 0 Colombia (Lima, Peru; 23 March 1957) Worst defeat: Argentina 6 - 1 Brazil (Buenos Aires, Argentina; 5 March 1940).

This country does have all of the sports of other countries such as basketball, tennis, volleyball, baseball and motor sports, but soccer is basically the national sport of Brazil. There are also some sports native to Brazil such as capoeira (an Afro-Brazilian martial art and dance), Brazilian jiu-jitsu (a Brazilian originated sport that emphasizes ground fighting styles and submissions, vale tudo (meaning "anything goes"), and footvolley (a game that is basically a mix of futbol and volleyball where players use their feet and head to get the ball over the net). Every and anyone can and do play all of these both Brazilian and non-Brazilian originated sports, which in effect really brings the people of the country together.

On a closing note, I would definitely consider Brazil to be like one big rainbow. There are many different types of people that inhabit Brazil, but they come together and combine their ways of life to produce something truly beautiful.

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