Brazil Christmas Traditions

Christmas gives every human being an opportunity to enjoy quality time with friends and family and welcome the festival. Families clean homes and decorate them with special Christmas decorations in form of Christmas wreaths, Christmas lights, flowers and so on. Every house has a Christmas tree, which is decorated with lights, tinsel and ornaments. The entire atmosphere is filled with hope and festive fervor. Parties, feast and family reunions are organized so that one can meet extended family members on Christmas. Christmas has universal appeal and therefore, it is celebrated all over the world. The style of celebration differs according to the traditions.

Christmas is celebrated in Brazil with great fervor and gusto. Brazil has various Christmas traditions due to the presence of various cultures and influence of Portuguese and American traditions. There is a common tradition of setting up a nativity scene in homes, churches and shops across Brazil. This is done in the month of December and kept till the end of celebration. This is called as Presepio. There is a tradition to have plays during Christmas. The plays have shepherdess as the main protagonist and scenes related to birth of Jesus. Special gifts are given to friends during Christmas festival season. Brazil is hot during Christmas so some traditions of food and drinks have undergone change.

There is a character called as Papai Noel that appears in Christmas to give gifts to kids. Papai Noel is a version of Santa Claus in Brazil. He comes wearing silk clothes. This is a recent tradition started because of commercialization of Santa and his gifts across South America. During Christmas, a lot of Brazilians attend Christmas Midnight Mass and other church services. Before the mass on Christmas Eve, families get together for special Christmas supper. The traditional Christmas dinner has turkey, ham and rice. A lot of fresh fruits and vegetables are served during the dinner.

People listen to Christmas music on Christmas day. Singing and dancing are two significant parts of Christmas celebration across Brazil. The homes and streets of the big cities are decorated with flowers and big Christmas trees. Fireworks are organized in the major cities on Christmas Eve. The Christmas tree has electric lights that attract people due to its color and lighting effect. The Christmas celebrations go up till January 6. Gifts are given to kids and family members. Some people enjoy going out with family to beaches and swimming pool as the weather is hot during Christmas in Brazil.

Flowers are seen as major decoration in Christmas as the entire country is full of blossoms of multiple hues. This gives a scenic and beautiful look to all the Christmas decorations in Brazil.