5 Unique Brazilian Holiday Traditions (2024)

Kirra Bixby

2 min read Lifestyle

Are you curious what celebrating the holiday season is like in Brazil? We'resharing the uniquely Brazilian traditions that shape this special time of year. They're not unlike many other parts of the world, but there are a few quirky differences that make their holidays bacana (cool)!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is the time to celebrate the holiday in Brazil! Many Catholics will go to church that evening, for a mass called the Misa de Gallo, or Mass of the Rooster. They return home to enjoy dinner, presents, and a toast around midnight. Christmas day is more low-key, spent relaxing with family and friends and snacking on leftovers from the night before for lunch.

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Amigo Secreto - Secret Santa

"Amigo Secreto," or secret friend, or "Amigo Oculto," hidden friend, is a popular tradition in which families and friends will anonymously give a gift to one person, instead of gifting to everyone in the group. A price limit is set and everyone gets to figure out who gifted who what, adding to the fun celebrations of the day.

Papai Noel

In Brazil, Santa Claus is called Papai Noel. Instead of coming down the chimney, a fun Brazilian Christmas tradition for children is leaving a sock near the window, and Papai Noel finds the sock and exchanges it for a gift.

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Christmas at the Beach

Christmas comes during the summertime in Brazil, so it's not uncommon for many families to spend the day at the beach! It's flip flop, swimsuit and sunglass weather. Palm trees are decorated with string lights and there may be a few rounds of soccer afoot - no pun intended.

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Family Meal

And last but certainly not least, the food! It's tradition tomake a big family meal that is enjoyed together on Christmas Eve. The meal will often include turkey, ham, salads, fresh fruits (Açaí, anyone?), rice cooked with raisins, and the traditional spoonful of farofa, or seasoned manioc flour. Brazilian Christmas Food has also been influenced by a diverse array of cultures including Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Germany. One very popular dessert is Italian panettone bread served with coffee. YUM!

Did you find any of these Brazilian traditions interesting? Let us know which one was your favorite in the comments below.

5 Unique Brazilian Holiday Traditions (2024)

FAQs

5 Unique Brazilian Holiday Traditions? ›

Instead of coming down the chimney, a fun Brazilian Christmas tradition for children is leaving a sock near the window, and Papai Noel finds the sock and exchanges it for a gift. Christmas comes during the summertime in Brazil, so it's not uncommon for many families to spend the day at the beach!

What are the unique Christmas traditions in Brazil? ›

Instead of coming down the chimney, a fun Brazilian Christmas tradition for children is leaving a sock near the window, and Papai Noel finds the sock and exchanges it for a gift. Christmas comes during the summertime in Brazil, so it's not uncommon for many families to spend the day at the beach!

What is a unique holiday in Brazil? ›

Although many countries around the world celebrate Mardi Gras every year, Brazil takes it to another level. Streets are filled with vibrant celebrations and parades as the national Carnival holiday takes over the entire country.

What are Brazil's traditions? ›

Brazil is home to Carnaval, a world-famous celebration, as well as neighborhood festivals, street parades, and a music scene unlike anywhere else in the world.

What are some traditional festivals in Brazil? ›

Festivals in Brazil
  • Rio Carnival. Colorful, raucous and hedonistic, there's a reason Carnival is one of the best-known parties in the world. ...
  • Parintins Folklore Festival. Parintins Folklore Festival is the second-largest festival in Brazil after Carnival. ...
  • Festa Junina. ...
  • New Year in Rio. ...
  • Oktoberfest. ...
  • Our Brazil trips.

What does Brazil call Santa? ›

Santa is known as Papai Noel and Bom Velhinho (Good Old Man) in Brazil, and while he is delivering presents in the southern hemisphere he changes into his lighter weight Santa suit.

What is the Secret Santa in Brazil for Christmas? ›

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!

What are some unique holiday foods in Brazil? ›

The central dish of Brazilian Christmas Dinner is typically a “chester,” a special variety of chicken that has been bred to have a high percentage of breast and thigh meat. Unlike the turkeys roasted in the US, chesters are sold in boneless, oval-shaped packages. They are roasted and carved like boneless honey ham.

What is the most unique holiday? ›

Unique Holiday Celebrations Across the World
  1. St. Nicholas Day, Europe. ...
  2. Icelandic Yule Lads, Iceland. ...
  3. Three Kings Day, Spanish-speaking Countries. ...
  4. Night of the Radishes, Mexico. ...
  5. Simbang Gabi, Philippines. ...
  6. Diwali, India. ...
  7. Carols by Candlelight, Australia. ...
  8. Christmas Markets, Europe.

What unique traditions does Brazil have for Halloween? ›

In Brazil, Halloween isn't just about dressing up in scary costumes and trick-or-treating; it's also the day of Saci Perere, a beloved character from Brazilian folklore. Saci Perere is a mischievous one-legged creature who wears a red cap and enjoys causing all sorts of playful havoc.

What are the traditions of Brazilian Carnival? ›

During Brazil Carnival, visitors can expect large amounts of traditional song, dance, parades, masks, food, and samba competitions. Each region of Brazil does Carnival a little differently. The southeastern region focuses most on samba schools and dance competitions, as well as large street parties.

What are 5 interesting facts about Brazil? ›

We have put together our top 27 facts about captivating Brazil.
  • Around 60% of the Amazon rainforest is in Brazil.
  • There more than 400 airports in Brazil.
  • The Brazilian football team have won the world cup a record 5 times.
  • Brazil has one of the largest economies in the world.

What is Brazil's legal tradition? ›

The Brazilian legal system is based on Civil Law tradition. The Federal Constitution is the supreme rule of the country and is characterized by its mostly rigid written form. The Constitution organizes the country as a Federative Republic.

What are Brazil holiday traditions? ›

In Brazil, Christmas Eve is the main event of the holiday season. Since 54 percent of the population is Catholic, many Brazilians attend midnight mass, exchange gifts and celebrate with large family gatherings the night before Christmas. “Brazilians gather on the night of the 24th and it's a big party!

What is a popular holiday in Brazil? ›

Carnival is the most popular holiday in Brazil and has become an event of huge proportions. Except for industrial production, retail establishments such as malls, and carnival-related businesses, the country unifies completely for almost a week and festivities are intense, day and night, mainly in coastal cities.

Is Good Friday a holiday in Brazil? ›

The Catholic religious tradition of “Holy Week” or Semana Santa is very important in Brazil. However, only Good Friday is a national holiday. In this lesson, we'll learn how Good Friday is celebrated in Brazil. On Good Friday, it is forbidden to eat meat.

What is the Christmas food traditions in Brazil? ›

The central dish of Brazilian Christmas Dinner is typically a “chester,” a special variety of chicken that has been bred to have a high percentage of breast and thigh meat. Unlike the turkeys roasted in the US, chesters are sold in boneless, oval-shaped packages. They are roasted and carved like boneless honey ham.

What are the traditions of Advent in Brazil? ›

One Advent tradition that is unique to Brazilian culture is the pastoril performances. The pastoril (or pastoral, in English) happens during the Christmas season and combines music, dance, and theatre to portray the birth of Jesus.

Where to spend Christmas in Brazil? ›

If you want to really sit in awe of the Brazilian Christmas Spirit or their spirit in general, spend Christmas Eve in São Paulo. With over 21,000,000 denizens, it will prove to be the most spectacular and largest informal fireworks display you have ever seen.

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