The culture of Brazil consists of all the colourful heritages, racial blend of people, mix of religion, heart-thumping celebrations.
The Melting Pot
Brazil has a blurred racial blend. During the 500 years since its discovery, Indians, Europeans and Africans have come to form a complex racial melting pot. The first Portuguese settlers took native wives, given rise to a new race – the mestizos. Later, the mulattoes, descendants of Portuguese settlers and African Slaves became part of Brazil’s growing racial blend.
They are becoming increasingly brown today due to the mix of Europeans, Africans and indigenous ancestors.
Psychological, attitudes, beliefs
As Brazilians have several cultures and races, Brazilians have inherited a little bit of the characteristics of each of their ancestors. They share the extroversion and love for rhythm of their African forefathers, the mysticism from their Indian ancestors and they inherited a Portuguese’s melancholy that perhaps originated in a deep longing for the mother country across the ocean.
Brazil has an open-minded culture. Do not get a culture shock if a Brazilian woman come approaching u trying to hook you, as the modern Brazilian women are initiative. No longer the old style of guy woo girls method around. Gays and lesbians are allowed in the cities, as gay clubs are seen on the streets however, in the rural areas, they are more conservative.
They love celebrations, music and dance. They also have relaxed attitudes towards nudity and toward the body in general. During the celebrations, Carnivals and festivals, performers wears the scanty costumes which consist of little more than a wisp of fabric, a few feathers and the tiny string bikinis—called "dental floss" ( fio dental ) in Brazilian slang—that women of all shapes, sizes, and ages wear on Brazil's public beaches.
Hope, to Brazillians, is strongly related to religious sentiments. It is also an expression of the lack of control over what the future may bring. Esperanca, the Portuguese word for hope.
Physical living conditions, Buildings
Brazil is a land of contrasts. The cities have a combination of modern skyscrapers, suburban houses, and impoverished slums (known as favelas). Brazil's urban slums have been estimated to be home for as many as twenty-five million people.
The inhabitants of favelas live in desperate poverty. Poor sanitation causes serious health problems. There is no garbage collection or sewer access. Committing crime is often the only choice for unemployed youth with no economic opportunities.
In contrast, the upper and middle classes have a high standard of living. Brazil's major cities are very modern, with large shopping malls and restaurants. Luxury high-rise apartment buildings and large houses have all the amenities one would expect in the United States. Most middle-and upper-class families have servants to assist with house chores.
Urban architecture in Brazil owes much to the legacy of Portuguese colonialism. Cities such as Ouro Prêto and Rio de Janeiro grew in importance long before industrialization had brought the factory or the automobile to Brazil. These cities, which influenced patterns of urban construction throughout the country, were largely modeled on Portuguese cities.
The buildings built during colonial times have narrow streets with continuous building facades that converge on central plazas. These open areas are often the sites of churches or government buildings, constructions imbued with symbolic power by being set off from the solid mass of private dwellings that line the streets.
Food cuisines.
As Brazilians have a rich diversity of culture and different ethnic groups, there are various kinds of cuisines available from region to region. It combines cooking styles and ingredients from the rain forest, the Portuguese and African cultures. African influences are particularly pronounced in the southeastern region of Bahia. Spicy seafood dishes in that region may be flavored with peanuts, coconut, lime, or other tropical ingredients.
