Christmas in Brazil

Christmas 2020

Country: Brazil

Description: Christmas Day on December 25 is a national holiday in Brazil. But because Brazil lies in the Southern Hemisphere, Brazilians celebrate Christmas in the summer. In Brazil, Santa Claus is called Papai Noel & Bom Velhinho (Good Old Man).

Christmas traditions: Many Brazilian Christmas traditions come from Portugal as Portugal ruled Brazil for many years. Nativity Scenes, known as Presépio are very popular. They are set-up in churches and homes all through December. Sometimes children leave a sock near a window. If Papai Noel finds your sock, he'll exchange it for a present! Taking part in a 'Secret Santa', known as 'amigo secreto' (secret friend) is popular in Brazil at Christmas. It is traditional to give small gifts all through December using a pretend name (apelidos). On Christmas Day, people reveal who their amigo secreto was!

Christmas decoration: Many Brazilians decorate their homes with a Christmas Tree, there is no rule, the parents can decorate it by themselves as a surprise to the kids, or they can do it together. In addition to the Christmas tree, many families set up a Nativity scene as the main decoration. Nativity scenes are very popular in Brazil, and can be seen everywhere including churches and popular places around the town.

Traditional Christmas food: Favourite Christmas foods in Brazil include pork, turkey, ham, salads and fresh and dried fruits. Everything is served with rice cooked with raisins and a good spoon of "farofa" (seasoned manioc flour.) Popular Christmas desserts include tropical and ice cream. The meal is normally be served around 10pm on Christmas Eve and exactly at Midnight people greet each other, make a toast wishing everyone a Happy Christmas and after that they will exchange presents. The lunch on Christmas day is also special and after that some people go to relatives and friends houses to visit.

Source: https://www.whychristmas.com/cultures/brazil.shtml

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