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Carnival in Brazil: Salvador Posted by on Feb 25, 2009

This week, we’re looking at the different Carnival celebrations in Brazil. Today, we’re going to look at Carnival in Salvador, in the northern state of Bahia. Salvador’s Carnival is one of the largest outdoor celebrations in the world, attracting nearly three million people every year for the six day festival. In this city, huge crowds…

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Carnival in Brazil: São Paulo Posted by on Feb 24, 2009

This week, we’re looking at different Carnival celebrations throughout Brazil. Today, we’re going to look at Carnival in São Paulo. Carnival in São Paulo is very similar to Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Percussion bands leading parades of revelers through the streets called blocos are common, which began in the early 1900s. Samba schools first…

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Carnival in Brazil: Recife Posted by on Feb 23, 2009

Carnival began this past weekend across Brazil and though it officially lasts until Tuesday, some festivities continue throughout the week. So this week, we’ll take a look at the different Carnival celebrations throughout the country. Today, we’re going to look at Recife’s Carnival. The celebrations in Pernambuco’s capital and its immediate neighbor, Olinda, are known…

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The transbêbado service Posted by on Jul 13, 2008

In June, a new law went into effect in Brazil to try to prevent drunk driving, which is a serious problem throughout the country. The law prohibits all levels of alcohol consumption for drivers, with penalties of nearly R$1000 fines and drivers’ license suspensions. This means that a single glass of wine or a bottle…

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Cabine Cornofônica Posted by on Jun 8, 2008

Leopoldo Buosanti Neto, owner of the bar Boteco Brasil in São Paulo, noticed that his clients would often run outside when they received phone calls, since many didn’t want their spouses to know where they were–especially the male customers. So he invented the Cabine Cornofônica, an English-style telephone booth that produces different sounds meant to…

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Brazilian City Spotlight: Walachai, Rio Grande do Sul Posted by on Mar 10, 2008

One of the most impressive things about Brazil is its regional diversity. In this series, we’ll take a look at just how different Brazil’s regions and even cities and towns can be. Walachai, pronounced “vala-hi” is a small town in the southernmost state of Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul. It’s located 100 kilometers from the…

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Religious Trends in Brazil: RioGringa Reports Posted by on Jan 28, 2008

Today I point you to a terrific post by RioGringa about religion in Brazil, specifically the trends related to religious affiliation over the past few decades. Among the highlights: Catholicism is on the decline, Candomblé (the afro-syncretic religion) is gaining a substantial white membership, and Atheism is on the rise. As Rachel (RioGringa) writes: Despite…

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