By Yulissa Barrios, Staff Writer
Many people think Columbia or Bolivia is the largest country of South America. However, according to National Geographic, Brazil is the largest country in South America. Brazil’s size also reflects its abundance in culture, history, and celebrations.
Brazil is made up of a melting pot of different cultures. The main ethnic groups Brazil is made up of are European ancestry, African ancestry, and Indigenous ancestry. Because of this, there are multiple ethnic backgrounds that make up the population, which creates a welcoming and warm environment for visitors.
Luanna De Paula, a Brazilian student who is a sophomore majoring in medical humanities and minoring in psychology stated, “the people are energetic, warm, welcoming, and friendly, no matter if you are blood related.”
When it comes to celebrations, Brazil knows how to through extravagant and memorable parties. One of those is Carnival, a festival filled with exciting and dazzling costumes with lively music, including Samba.
De Paula stated, “Many people think Carnival is one huge party. But it is actually divided up into different streets, and each street is dedicated to different groups of people including the LGBTQ+ and for children.”
One of Brazil’s cities that is known for its beautiful landscapes is Natal. The city is filled with tourism because of its beautiful beaches, sand dunes, variety of football stadiums, and variety of hotels.
“I went to Natal with my parents, and we stayed in an exclusive hotel. There were numerous food options, and the state’s landscape was pretty with a desert filled with mountains of sand. My favorite part of the experience was riding the buggies across the desert”.
Brazil is not known only for its amazing scenery but also for its amazing dishes, which are mouthwatering.
Many Americans are familiar with Brazilian steakhouses, in which guests are served a variety of steak options and are unlimited. Usually, as an appetizer, guests are offered a dish called Pao de Queijo, cheese-infused bread, which offers a bit of a sweet yet satisfying taste for people.
Another popular dish know by the Brazilian community is Pamonha.
“Pamoha is a dish similar to the Mexican tamale, in which there is a corn base in the center, and you can customize it however you like, making it sweet or savory,” De Paula stated.
Brazil has a lot to offer including the welcoming people, amazing scenery, and delicious food. This culturally thriving country offers vibrancy and exhilaration to visitors and people from that nation.
