Meia Praia/Easter

Since I couldn't spend Easter with my family, spending it on the beach with my roommate and her family was definitely a great option! We went to Meia Praia (literally "Half Beach") in Santa Catarina, a state just south of Curitiba. Staying with my roommate's parents was another great example of Brazilian hospitality. It was a fun-filled weekend of food, drinks, beaches, and interlingual conversation. Between the Spanish words that my roommate's parents know from the Argentinian tourists in their area, my semi-limited Portuguese, and everyone's knowledge of English, it was cultural exchange at its best...and hilarious. It's always great to meet new people and not only learn different things and perspective about Brazil, but also get asked different questions about the U.S.

In addition to the great company, I also got to visit several beaches around Meia Praia (Bombas, Bombinhas, and some others).

Some capivaras that we stumbled upon on the side of the road on the way to some other beaches...

And, speaking of capivaras, which are common here in Brazil, have any of you from the U.S. ever seen these? I'd never even heard of these animals before coming to Brazil. The first time I saw one I freaked out! They're GIANT guinea pigs!

Funny story behind this picture. Just a beautiful, scenic view, right? It took us about thirty minutes of dirt, narrow, comically hilly roads to get to this place...in a Volkswagon Golf. Kind of an adventure, but totally worth it.

Easter

So, Easter in Brazil. In theory, similar to the U.S., but I would say that it's viewed as a more important holiday here. In addition to celebrating Easter Sunday, everything shuts down here on Good Friday, which is different from most places in the U.S. But in general, like in the U.S., it's a religious and mainstream holiday that most people celebrate by going to church and/or being with their families.

One thing that is HUGE here is chocolate Easter eggs. Now, if you live in the U.S. and you're reading this, you're probably thinking, "yeah, just like here." No. Here in Brazil they have big, hollow eggs in pretty much every chocolate variety that have more individually wrapped chocolates inside. They're all packaged similarly and decorated in a canopy in supermarkets, so you literally walk underneath dozens of chocolate eggs. And it's wonderful. (Unfortunately, I haven't had the guts to be an American tourist with a camera in a supermarket yet, so I don't have a picture of this).

People here in Brazil have asked me if chocolate eggs are as popular in the U.S. as they are here. When talking to someone about this, I realized something about the U.S...the conversation went a little like this:

Brazilian: Do you have chocolate eggs in the States like we do here?

Me: We definitely have chocolate eggs in the States, but they're not quite like here. Also, we have a lot of other varieties of huge hollow chocolates. You know, eggs, bunnies, crosses, other anima---

Brazilian: Did you say crosses?

Me: Yes.

Brazilian: Crosses? Like CROSSES?! (as she makes the shape of a cross with her hand)

Me: Yeah...hmmm...yeah. I guess that is kinda weird...

So, cross-shaped chocolates. Something that may not be as popular as other chocolate shapes during Easter, but something you definitely see in a supermarket during this holiday. Since finding out that it was so strange to the first Brazilian I talked to about it, I've talked to other people and they've found it just as strange. Maybe it's the difference between a predominantly Catholic and a predominantly Protestant country? Maybe...American consumerism at its best (or worst)? Who knows...

Anyway, a typical Easter in the U.S. includes Easter baskets filled with chocolate and goodies, dyeing Easter eggs, Easter egg hunts, church, family...am I missing anything? Like any other holiday, Easter has its "typical" traditions, but it means something and can be celebrated differently by each family.

What is a typical Easter in Brazil like?