São Paulo is Brazil’s most populated and economically active metropolitan city, known to be a hub of activity where traditions and modernity meet. Home to many people of different cultures and customs, São Paulo is also somewhat of a multiple ethnopolis where traditions, arts and life of the people reside harmoniously. So, whether you are planning on making a reservation or you are just curious to know more about this vibrant city, some basic knowledge of the local customs and traditions goes a long way in helping you appreciate this city better.
This blog will help you to tease out some of the key customs, practices, and traditions that resonate with São Paulo’s identity. Beginning with the socio-cultural calendar of the people which chart the flow of various activities, cuisine, music, and even dance among other customs related to the people.
Festivals and Celebrations
Celebrations are simply an indispensable aspect of those who live in São Paulo, with most of such events emerging from the boundaries of Brazil’s historical and religiousism.
Carnaval (Carnival)
Carnival in São Paulo is one of the city’s most popular, colorful and festive events. This year it takes place just before the Lent, this festival highlights the uniqueness of Brazilian people as music, dance and sexy costumes take center stage. The parades of Carnival in São Paulo are held at the Sambadrome where most of the samba schools perform and compete to be the best. Every samba school is attached to a distinct community, and the preparations for this day may last for things even months. Everywhere people gather in the street parties, called as the blocos, with great live music, good people and indeed a very enjoyable environment.
Festa Junina (June Festival)
Another venerable custom of São Paulo celebrates Festa Junina, festivity, which falls in the month of June. It is a traditional festival that started as a country festival held in honour of the saints; St. Anthony, St. Peter and St. John. Brightly colored decorations, folk music and dances including quadrilhas (popular square dances) are attributed, to this festival . Guests indulge in wearing clothes with a typical rural theme including checked shirts and straw hats, There are also several food stalls offering variations of São Paulo foods like pamonha (a dish of corn) and quentão (a spiced wine served hot).
Culinary Traditions
São Paulo cuisine contains influences from all its immigrants such as Italo-Japanese, Portuguese, Arab and African. It is worth mentioning that São Paulo’s Food has been considered as one of the best Food places in the world with its fair share of Brazilian cuisines and international options.
Feijoada
Feijoada, made from black beans and pork, is also known as a soldier’s stew, is one of the many national dishes across the states of Brazil, and São Paulo most certainly is no different. Traditionally, it is also accompanied by a side of rice and garnished with collard greens, orange and farofa (which is cassava flour that has been toasted). In São Paulo, feijoada is particularly taken on Wednesdays and Saturdays and feijoada specials are most offered on these days in a number of restaurants.
Pizza Culture
The Italian community that has settled in São Paulo has greatly influenced the food culture of the city by introducing and popularizing pizza among other dishes. In fact, one can say, São Paulo ranks high in enjoying pizza in several regions of the world. Foreigners residing in the state of Paulistano must esteem themselves on Sunday nights because it is the day out of the week that typically families and friends come together to eat dramas. Pizzarias in São Paulo have large amounts of pizza toppings with the most common being the margherita.
Café Culture
Brazil is the leading producer of coffee around the globe, and so coffee is something rather interesting in the everyday life of the people residing in São Paulo. Brazilian people cherish their daily coffee breaks at work or anywhere outside home with friends and family and even work colleagues, who share a cafezinho at home or at a café. It’s common in São Paulo for people to meet friends after lunch or during breaks from work for a couple of minutes of coffee.
Art and Music
Art forms one of the many critical sectors in Sri Paulo just as much as the city itself, which ever accommodates modernization in line with the local practice. Art in Soa Paulo is present in every aspect of daily life an it can either be in the form of Graffiti, museums or music.
Graffiti and Street Art
Street art has earned popularity especially in São Paulo where segments of the city like Vila Madalena have become street art neighborhoods. Graffiti in Sao Paulo is not only regarded as a form of art, it is more of a commentary on sociopolitical events in Brazil. There are many talented street artists from the city, among who is Os Gêmeos, whose works are exhibited both in Brazil and abroad.
Samba and Bossa Nova
In São Paulo, samba music, the most recognized form of dance music in Brazil, is of keystone importance. Consequently, people spend their samba nights in a temple of music and dance performance’s and even in bars and clubs in the city. Another notable genre is the bossa nova, a form developed in Brazil that takes samba and stands it on jazz, it is no wonder that this genre is characterized by a softer touch. In the city culture or life of the city, samba and bossa nova are also vividly present.
Social Etiquette
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Greetings
Brazilians are able to claim their hearts and commitment on how they greet one another. It is typical that people in São Paulo kiss both sides of the faces, and on the other hand in Western countries people shake hands with each other. Relatives and close friends kiss on the cheeks and then embrace in such demonstrations of cordiality. It is polite to greet each member of a cluster when entering such a space.
Punctuality
It is true that the city of São Paulo is quite hectic, yet people do not normally get obsessively concerned about being on time for social gatherings. It is common to arrive 15 to 30 minutes late to a party or dinner but that depends on how one has been invited or what the general stipulations are in professional settings.
Personal Space
One’s own undisturbed environment is less structured in São Paulo than the majority of Western cultures. People in the city are often seen to occupy one’s proximity in conversations and people tend to touch, for instance, to pat someone on the back or touch an arm gently which indicates warmness.
Religious Traditions
There are a lot of religious practices in São Paulo where a majority adheres to the Catholic faith. Most, if not all, of the essential holidays and celebrations are deeply religion-oriented including the lenisation of Our Lady of Aparecida, Patroness of Brazil, as the Procession of Our Lady of Aparecida is referred to. Rays of hot sun slice the early morning haze as thousands kneel in reverence to Pope John Paul II. These followers gather on 12th October yearly, to pay homage to the Virgin Mary and join in prayers and songs.
Catholicism does play a major role in the religious life of São Paulo, however, there are many Protestantism, Judaism, Islam, as well as Afro-Brazilian religions such as Candomblé and Umbanda. This rich religious plurality offers another aspect of the culture of the city.
Conclusion
In São Paulo, tradition grows along with innovation, and people from all walks of life come together to form a cultural mosaic which is vivid and highly dynamic. Not just the festivals or the food but the art, the traditions, and all other aspects of social life take you through an interesting journey of various traditions that exist in the great city. Be it walking around the city, participating in various activities, or enjoying a cup of coffee with a local, you will realize how the traditions of São Paulo are stamped by its inclusive nature and cluster.