I take Brazilians: The wedding is loud and passionate. The groom's tie is cut and the bride hides the names of the singles in her dress.
Brazil was historically one of the main destinations for the import of African slaves. Today, approximately one million black people live in the country and issues related to the slave past are still very sensitive. Just like in the United States, slavery has left deep social footprints in Brazil. Even though it was officially abolished only in 1888, its effects are still felt in society today and represent an open wound in the country's history.
Marta was energetic and independent. She studied Portuguese at the University of Prague. She was interested in foreign cultures and was very fascinated by Brazilian music and dance. It never occurred to her that this interest would lead her to a person who would change her life. One summer evening, at a university party, she met Luiz, a young and charismatic Brazilian who came to the Czech Republic to study economics. His family is from Rio de Janeiro, and even though he moved to the Czech Republic a few months ago, he fell in love with this country immediately. From the start, Marta amazed him with her knowledge of Brazilian music, especially samba, and her open-mindedness. Their conversation began with music, but quickly turned to shared interests. Both shared a passion for travel and adventure. At that time, she had no idea that this meeting was the beginning of something much bigger. Luiz invited her to dinner at a Brazilian restaurant in the center of Prague, where they both immediately felt at home. After several months of getting to know each other, shared laughter, and admiring both Brazilian and Czech culture, they became inseparable.
It didn't take long for their relationship to become serious. Therefore, Luiz decided that he wanted to propose to Marta. On this occasion, they decided to combine two different cultures into one beautiful wedding. Marta wanted to prepare a wedding according to Brazilian traditions, which they both liked. As part of the wedding day, Marta wrote the names of all her unmarried friends on the hem of her wedding dress, which is considered lucky in Brazil for those looking for love. For both of them, it marked the beginning of a new life, where love for traditions and cultures intertwine, and their story began to overlap with another chapter of their shared life.
Personalized dress hems
In Brazilian style tradition, a custom hem is a common theme. It works in such a way that the Brazilian bride chooses a seamstress to sew a hem for her under her wedding dress. She then writes the names of her unmarried friends on it. This custom, carried out during preparations on the wedding day, is supposed to bring luck in love to her girlfriends and speed up their marriage.
When choosing a wedding outfit, the Brazilian bride is not constrained by traditional rules. One of the typical features of her look are gold pumps, which she wears under her wedding dress.
Madrinhas and Padrinhos
Brazilian couples have instead of traditional witnesses "madrinhas" and "padrinhos". Usually, there is no main bridesmaid. The bride and groom choose several couples, traditionally three, who stand next to them at the altar. These couples may be in a romantic relationship, but they can be just friends or family members. Bridesmaids in Brazil do not have uniform dresses. Padrinhos can have a tie of the same color, if given by the bride and groom, but madrinhas choose multicolored robes. It is assumed that if they had the same color, it would bring bad luck.
Grand entrance of the bride and groom
In Brazil, not only the arrival of the bride is important, but also the groom, who arrives with his mother or a close female relative.
Most Brazilians are very relaxed and usually in no hurry. In addition, tradition says that the groom shouldn't see the bride before the wedding, so the bride often makes sure she arrives late. It's commonly said that a ten-minute delay is normal, but in practice it can easily extend to 30 minutes or more.
It is supposed to bring luck. Music plays at the entrance and small children often go in front of the bride with bouquets, lollipops or signs with inscriptions.
Unusual officiants
In the past, wedding ceremonies were performed exclusively by men - priests or pastors. Today, couples often choose wedding assistants or even members of the wedding party to officiate the ceremony. Sometimes the entire ceremony is limited to just an exchange of vows between the betrothed.
Natural elements in the ceremony
The wedding ceremony lasts about an hour and includes various readings, exchange of vows and rituals related to natural elements - water, air, earth and fire. Each of these elements has a symbolic meaning: water represents purification, earth fertility and new paths, air lightness and communication, fire love and life. A common ritual is, for example, mixing two different types of sand into one container, which symbolizes the union of two people into one whole.
The ring is just moved to the other hand
Unlike other countries where engagement and wedding rings differ, in Brazil, the betrothed have only one ring. They wear it on their right hand during the engagement and move it to the left hand during the ceremony, symbolizing the transition into marriage. The rings are usually simple, gold, and without diamonds.
Traditional drink - Caipirinha
At Brazilian weddings, the drink Caipirinha - a cocktail made from cachaça (Brazilian rum), sugar, and lime is an integral part. There is often a special bar dedicated to this drink at weddings.
Sweet table with traditional desserts
Brazilian weddings are known for their rich selection of sweets. For a wedding with 200 guests, at least 1,000 sweet treats are prepared. Popular ones include brigadeiro (chocolate balls with sprinkles) and bem casado (biscuits filled with dulce de leche). Bem casado is packed into decorated wrappers and distributed to guests as a symbol of happiness and prosperity.
Lifting of the bride's skirt
During the wedding celebration, women surround the bride on the dance floor and lift her skirt. This is a fun moment that creates beautiful photos and also provides pleasant refreshment for the bride.
Cutting the groom's tie
Although this tradition is not very common today, in the past it was customary to cut the groom's tie into small pieces. These were then auctioned off among the guests and the money raised was kept by the couple for things like their honeymoon.
Dancing fun until morning
Brazilian wedding celebrations are full of music and dance. In addition to live bands or DJs, there are often dance performances, such as samba dancers in carnival style. Lately, the wedding flash mob has also become popular, involving the bride, groom and their friends.
Brazilians love parties, and so sometimes uninvited guests appear at weddings. To prevent this, many couples have begun to send special "tickets" to the wedding and reception along with invitations. Security is usually provided on site to check whether each guest has their own ticket at the entrance. This way, the newlyweds are sure that only the truly invited guests will be at their celebration.
Late night refreshments
In addition to traditional Brazilian dishes, such as feijoada (stewed beans with meat), a "dawn snack" - refreshments for guests in the very late hours, are also served at wedding feasts. These may include small burgers, milkshakes, fries, wraps, or popcorn.
Celebration until dawn
Brazilian wedding celebrations usually last all night. If the wedding is held on the beach, it starts in the afternoon and ends between midnight and three in the morning, depending on local noise regulations. In cities, the wedding starts later, around seven in the evening, and the party can continue until five in the morning. It is not unusual for the feast to stretch into the next day.
Brazilians are known for their communicative and friendly nature. They are also among the loudest nations in the world.
When they talk or call each other, it may sometimes seem like they are arguing. Like Italians or Spaniards, Brazilians are very friendly and can get excited quickly.
Love for children
Brazilians like to have fun, as evidenced by the world-famous carnival in Rio de Janeiro. This largest carnival in the world annually attracts approximately two million visitors who enthusiastically watch dazzling parades and dance to the rhythm of samba. The main goal of this colorful and energetic celebration is to introduce local samba schools, which present their impressive choreographies on beautifully decorated allegorical vehicles.
Brazilians are known for their love for children and deep respect for large families. Regardless of whether they are rich or poor, most Brazilians have four to five children. Family is a key element in their culture, and this applies to all social classes.
An interesting finding is that most children in Brazil are born just nine months after the carnival holiday season.
This time is associated with celebrations and fun in the country, which can affect an increased number of pregnancies in the following months.
National dish
If you're not a fan of rice and beans, it may be difficult for you to find suitable food in Brazil. Although Brazilian cuisine may seem exotic, it is mostly made up of simple ingredients, such as meat, rice in Brazilian style, beans, and occasionally salad. You will not find anything too extravagant here to captivate your taste buds. If you want to experience authentic Brazilian cuisine, you should visit the northeast of the country.
Feijoada, a traditional Brazilian dish, is considered a national food. This dish consists of black beans and at least two types of stewed meat. The name "feijoada" comes from the Portuguese word "feijão", which means beans in translation.
Dark Side: Brazil
Brazil is not only a country of endless celebrations and joy, but also has its dark side. In large cities, there are extensive slums, known as favelas, where crime, violence and various illegal activities thrive. Despite the danger, these places have become a bizarre tourist attraction for wealthy foreign travelers, who find a peculiar form of adrenaline experience when visiting these areas. In 2005, the Brazilian city of Fortaleza became the scene of one of the most daring bank robberies in history. Criminals dug a tunnel directly under the bank, penetrated the vault, and carried away five containers filled with cash totaling 3.5 tons in weight.
The robbery was at one time considered the largest in the world - thieves made off with approximately 160 million reais, which at the time amounted to 71.6 million US dollars. The police managed to catch some members of the gang, but most of the money and perpetrators disappeared without a trace.
Even though Brazil has a shady side that can make this country a dangerous place, it should be noted that there are many places here that are beloved and beautiful. Not only because of these places, Brazilian weddings are grandiose and full of energy, often becoming an unforgettable experience for all involved.
Source: author's text, Brides.com, Theknot.com, Windowsonthelake.com, tropicalvenues.com
