BROWSE HOW TOs

How to Celebrate a Brazilian Christmas

By eHow Holidays & Celebrations Editor

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While Christmas traditions in Brazil are sometimes not all that different from those in the United States, most of Brazil sizzles in December, so Santa has to exchange his fur suit for something more comfortable as he delivers presents.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Christmas Gifts
Christmas Tree Lights
Christmas Tree Ornaments
Christmas Trees
Nativity Scenes
Tree Stands
Turkeys

Step1

Display a Christmas tree in your home and decorate it with ornaments and lights.

Step2

Attend a performance of "Los Pastores" ("The Shepherds"), which depicts the Nativity.

Step3

Set up an elaborate Nativity scene - called a "presépio" in Brazil - and plan to leave it up until January.

Step4

Expect "Papai Noel," or Father Christmas, to visit your house with gifts for the children.

Step5

Serve a special Christmas meal that includes dishes such as turkey, chicken, ham, rice, beans, mashed potatoes, and fresh and dried fruits. Adults generally drink wine or beer.

Step6

Attend church on Christmas Eve, if this is an important religious tradition for your family. Many Catholics attend midnight mass on Christmas Eve, or attend mass on the afternoon of Christmas Day.

Step7

Open gifts after the main meal on Christmas Eve, or after breakfast on Christmas morning.

Step8

Plan a large breakfast on Christmas morning. Arrange to open gifts, go to church, watch fireworks or simply relax on Christmas Day.

Tips & Warnings

The Christmas feast is often eaten on Christmas Eve - sometimes at midnight - with a smaller meal served on Christmas Day.
Firecrackers are lit on Christmas Day, as well as on New Year's Eve.
In Brazil, "Boas Festas" means Merry Christmas.
Brazil is a large, cosmopolitan country made up of many ethnic and cultural groups, so Christmas traditions are diverse and cannot be generalized. The above are simply a few examples of local traditions that may or may not be appropriate for your personal celebration of Christmas.

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Comments

Geiza said

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on 6/19/2007 We also do the 'Secret Santa's' stuff, were we exchange presents with family members, friends and colleagues.

Anonymous said

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on 12/16/2005 On Christmas eve we usually play some games related to Christmas, like charades, mimes, complete these famous sayings about Christmas, "sing a Christmas song with the word..."; building a string of beads by memory. And, of course, donÂ´t forget to wish a very cheerful, loud and happy Merry Christmas (Feliz Natal) to everyone you see during this time.