Brazilian Culture 101 for your Working Holiday Adventure

Brazil is a country with a colourful, vibrant and multifaceted culture—but it’s also a land of contradictions and inequalities. Brazilians love celebrations, festivals and parties, and while they tend to make the most of such precious moments, they also live chaotic lifestyles in a country stuck halfway between progressive initiatives and conservatism. Brazil is deeply divided between those who want to move towards a more egalitarian society with social rights and those who want to maintain a conservative society based on religious dogmas.

In Brazil, “carpe diem” is a way of life. Why plan for the long term when everything can change so quickly? It’s best to just join a few friends or perfect strangers and party, drowning thoughts in loud music to forget how complicated tomorrow may be.

Brazilians seem to be happier in groups and it doesn’t take much to start a party or to find an excuse to celebrate something—life, maybe. However, that doesn’t mean Brazilians are always happy. In fact, fatalistic attitudes are the norm in this country plagued by corruption and slow progress.

A common scene throughout Brazil epitomizes the country. Picture a bunch of guys sitting on plastic beach chairs, dozens of beer cans on the ground, and a loudspeaker playing Brazilian music. The poorer the neighbourhood, the more you will notice these informal gatherings. These guys can sit around for hours, drinking beer together. It may even look like they haven’t moved all day. That’s Brazil for you!

Read on for a deep dive into many aspects of Brazilian culture!