Brazilian Landmarks: Cristo Redentor – Christ the Redeemer

Cristo Redentor – Christ the Redeemer

"the city of god" truly exemplifies the beauty that god has created on earth

“E a cidade que tem braços abertos (It’s the city that has open arms)
Num cartão postal (On a post card)
Com os punhos fechados na vida real (With clenched fists in real life)
Lhe nega oportunidades (It denies opportunities)
Mostra a face dura do mal” (It shows the true face of evil)

Lyrics from the song Alagados, by Os Paralamas do Sucesso

Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor) is arguably the most distinctive symbol of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil abroad. It is a statue of Jesus Christ that is 130 ft tall (39.6 meters) and 98 ft (30 meters) wide. It is located at the peak of the 2,300-foot (700 meters) Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park overlooking the city. It is made of reinforced concrete and soapstone. It was constructed between 1922 and 1931. Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa designed the statue and French sculptor Paul Landowski sculpted it. In 2007, it was named one the New Seven Wonders of the World.

More on the statue can be found at Christ the Redeemer (in English) and Cristo Redentor (in Portuguese).

*Sources: http://www.theportugueseblog.com

Traditional Brazilian Holidays – Festa Junina

FESTA JUNINA

The Festa Junina are festivities that take place in June in Brazil and are extremely popular throughout the country and among all social classes. Originally called joanina from São João, they celebrate the Catholic Saints:

• Santo Antônio – Saint Anthony – 13th June
• São João – Saint John – 24th June
• São Pedro – Saint Peter – 29th June

The church fair, usually with a charity bazaar, is called a quermesse. The festivities also celebrate rural life and feature typical dress, food and dance. They usually take place in a large open space outdoors called an arraial and people dress up as farmers, or country folk (caipira) with straw hats and checked shirts or dresses. São João celebrates marriage, so couples dance a kind of square dance called a quadrilha which features a mock wedding with the bride and groom. June is the time of the corn harvest, so special dishes are prepared made with corn. Canjica is made from grated corn and coconut, boiled with water, milk, sugar and cinnamon. Pamonha is a sweet concoction of corn paste which is rolled and baked in fresh cornhusks. Pinhão, an edible pine seed is also very popular. A typical drink is the quentão. As the name suggests, this is a hot alcoholic drink with ginger and usually cachaça – a kind of rum made from sugar cane and commonly known as pinga.

Bonfires and firework displays are also important features of these colourful two-week celebrations.

this is just bizarre, and funny. i found it trying to find pictures for festa junina

*Sources: http://www.theportugueseblog.com/

Religion: Christianity In Brazil – Some Vocabulary and Information

Evangelical Christianity is thriving in Brazil. That the evangelical and pentecostal churches in Brazil are strong is immediately evident to any visitor. Compared to other Latin American countries where non-Catholic congregations are often small, hidden away on back streets and decidedly not influential, the church is Brazil is almost brazen in its visibility and self-promotion.

From one or more churches on every block in some sectors of Rio de Janeiro to billboards for a Christian bookstore overlooking downtown Sao Paulo’s popular central square; from numerous radio and television stations broadcasting fiery sermons around the clock to two teenaged sisters unashamedly singing Christian hymns and choruses on an extended bus trip; from glaring neon signs proclaiming “Assemblies of God” atop the largest buildings in some rural towns to evangelicals in the president’s cabinet and a strong evangelical bloc in the nation’s congress, Brazilians are filling churches as fast as they can open and sharing their faith in a way that would put fellow believers in other countries to shame.

Rio De Janeiro, often called "The City of God." One can see why.

 

um cristão – a christian (person)

vida cristã – christian life

misericórdia – mercy

um culto – a service (church service)

versículo – bible verse

espírito santo – the holy spirit

superar – to overcome (a difficult situation)

honra – honor

orações – prayers

rezar, orar – to pray

bênção – blessing

abençoar – to bless

evangelismo – evangelism

reino – kingdom

deus – god

reino de deus – kingdom of god

satanás – satan

santo – holy

redenção – redemption

fé – faith

amor – love

milagre – miracle

onipotente, todo poderoso – omnipotent

onisciente – omniscient

onipresente – omnipresent

poderoso – powerful

repudiar – disavow

perdão  – forgiveness, absolution

santificado – sanctified

grata – greatful

louvar  – to praise

consagrado – consecrated

eterno – eternal

se ajoelhar – to kneel, get down on one’s knees

salvador – savior

jesus cristo – jesus christ

a bíblia – the bible

Milan star Kaka and his Brazilian teammates have been told to stop making overt displays of their Christianity during matches

pregador – preachor

pastor, pastora – pastor

meditação – meditation

pecado – a sin

pecar – to sin

adorar – to worship

comunhão – communion, holy communion

ungido – anointed

unção – anointment

assembléia de deus – assembly of god

worshipers in brazil

Sources: http://www.lam.org/news/article.php?id=250