The culture of Brazil is one of a very diverse nature. The religion of most Brazilians is Roman Catholic. Many other beliefs over time have been incorporated into the Brazilian catholic belief system such as Spiritism, Budism, Hinduism, and Judaism. Many Catholics do not view Protestants as Christians and the vice-versa is also true. A majority of the population are non-practicing catholics and would actually be considered athiests in many circles.

The Five Sub-Cultures

The geopgraphy of Brazil makes it a country of many faces. People in the Northern states tend to be spread out and very technologically advanced. The Amazon River allows hundreds of small communities to live independent of the outside worlds, depending only for medicine and diverse foods from traders. Indian culture is very hiarchical. Tribes still exist living solely off the river and its surrounding natural resources. Their religions usually are nature-related, relying heavily on ancestral worship. The exception to this might be the cities of Manaus and Belem which both are centers for learning and industry.

In what is called the Northeastern states people in the countryside areas usually live in a feudal relationship with their land owners. Here sugar is planted in abundance. Droughts are very common. There are various painters, sculptors, and writters that have made an impact on Brazilian culture. Caetano Veloso was born in Bahia and is among the greatest composers Brazil has ever produced. Known primarily for his Bossa Nova techniques, Veloso is considered one of the founding fathers of MPB (musica popular brasileira).

In the Southeastern part of Brazil is found most of the culture that is known world-wide. Among these is a sculptor by the name of Aleijadinho. Aleijadinho was a brilliant sculptor who was maimed in hands and feet. He is famous for his baroque carvings found in the Church of St. Francisco in Ouro Preto. He is also known for his statues known as the Twelve Prophets. Tom Jobim, the composer of "Girl from Ipanema", is probably one of the better known artists coming from this section of Brazil. Another famous composer is Heitor Villa-Lobos. Villa-Lobos is most famous for his orchestral works entitled Choros. This word means "chorus" in Portuguese. His two most famous are No. 7 (1924) and No. 11 (1942). No. 7 was noted for its strings and woodwinds while No. 11 was noted for its piano and orchestra arrangements.

The South is the second richest in terms of culture. The germanic and italian influences are clearly felt especially in terms of appearance. In this part of the country you find many light eyed and lighter headed people.

The Westcentral part of the country is primarily grasslands. The latin countries surrounding it are very influential in affecting its culture.

Day to Day

In Brazil, a person might come to your house and not leave for hours. If you have previous commitments it is understood you will break these and entertain your guests until they decide to leave. Meetings and social gatherings, other than in business settings, tend to be scheduled at times that are subject to change. Usually this means a Brazilian will rarely be on time.

Brazilians are also very mixed in their ethnicity. A person with slightly lighter skin might be considered white. Most Brazilians have a mixture of Indian, African, and European in their blood lines. Brazilians are also a very loud people. When thinking of a Brazilian, you might envision the Italian family in their large gatherings where literally dozens of conversations are taking place.

Brazilians instead classify people in terms of social class. The very wealthy tend to seclude themselves. The middle class esteems to be part of the wealthier class. The poor concern themselves with family and living on a day-to-day basis.

A Curiosity about Coffee

It is interesting to note that most Brazilians drink coffee for breakfast everday. In fact, the word for "breakfast" means "coffee in the morning" (cafe da manha) in Portuguese. Coffee was possibly consumed in earlier days because this biggest production starts in Brazil, in the politics of Café com leite (reference to Brazil's domination by the "coffee oligarchs"), when the product is included in the culture.

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