In Brazil, families tend to get together in the evening on Christmas Eve. We call it Christmas night (Noite de Natal). People dress up in new clothes and a huge feast is served around midnight, where families celebrate the start of Christmas Day. And when we say family, we mean the whole family. In Brazil, it is common for cousins, second cousins, aunts, and uncles to join the immediate family for the Christmas celebration.
Also at midnight, the television broadcasts the midnight mass, which is watched by thousands of Christians in Brazil. Gifts are given and hugs and greetings are shared. Santa Claus usually leaves gifts for the children after they go to bed, so they can open them the next morning on Christmas Day. Santa Claus is called Papai Noel in Portuguese, but he can also be called O Bom Velhinho (The Good Old Man) as a nickname.
Many families also organize an invisible friend, called Amigo Oculto or Amigo Secreto in Brazil, a game in which we exchange gifts within a group. On December 25, families meet again for lunch. However, in most households, they only eat the leftovers from the night before, as in Brazil the 25th has a more relaxed feel. In fact, at the end of the day, Christmas is not even celebrated anymore and many order pizza or fast food for dinner.
Traditions in brasil by Jeniffer Cruz Maqueda.
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