I had heard about some of the most visible parts of culture, like Carnaval (Carnival). Carnival is an important festival in Brazil. It happens before Lent, which is the forty days leading up to Easter Sunday. During Lent, many people fast from foods or give up certain luxuries. During Carnaval, people eat lots of these foods and have a big party with dancing and parades before the more serious Lent season. Before I came to Brazil, I thought that everyone celebrated Carnaval, but when I arrived, I found that some people did not. Many people leave the city during Carnaval. They go to a lake or a quiet place on vacation. Some churches have a camping trip in the countryside. I did not know about these non-traditional Carnaval celebrations before I met people in Brazil.
I did not know how diverse Brazil was before I came, either! Most of what Americans know about Brazil comes from the big cities farther north, like Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Recife. Here in the south, they have some special practices, characteristics and accents that make up gaúcho culture. One of those practices, drinking chimarrão, is the tradition I wrote about this week. The gaúcho accent is softer and sounds more like Spanish than accents further north. It is amazing to see the differences in the culture here in the south.
Many people also told me, “Brazil is going to be really hot!” That is mostly true, but here in the south, the winters can get as cold as freezing. The weather is very similar to the southern United States. It is not unusually cold or unusually warm.
The weather, Carnaval and chimarrão are all clearly visible parts of culture.
