The Country

The Federal Republic of Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world and the largest in South America. The country shares its borders with nine other nations and it is flanked on its East by the Atlantic Ocean.

An elected President, on a two four-year term, heads this democratic republic with oversight from a 594 member Chamber of Deputies and Federal Senate.

The country demographics is dominated by a mixture of white European immigrants, the indigenous folks and Portuguese settlers, lending to a unique cross culture among the 190 million populace.

Portuguese is the official language of the land and spoken by almost everyone here. While there is no official religion according to the constitution, 90% of the country is Christians, with Catholics accounting for almost three fourths of it.

Relationship With A Brazilian Woman

Despite the fact that intermarriages has almost succeeded in creating a common national identity, Brazilians are notoriously class conscious, with fair skinned citizens generally accepted to be at a higher social level than their darker skin counterparts. This class structure extends to the economic front, with disproportionate distribution of incomes among the whites, Mestizos and Mulattoes, a vicious cycle of disenfranchisement that is widening the income gap between the self-appointed upper and the default lower class.

While you may be a cultured, sophisticated man of the world who looks disdainfully on all manner of racism, understand that to a typical Brazilian, this does not enter into the equation in the normal sense of the word. Their view of the class disparity is wholly cultural and economic based, instead of active marginalization. As such, tread gently on this subject before unfairly launching into a diatribe of self-righteousness. A thorough appreciation of a country’s culture, history and social dynamics will always serve you well under these circumstances.

Marriage

Things are working out well for you and you want to take the leap into the unknown with your Brazilian girlfriend. How do you go about it? Well, despite the rich local culture, engagements are essentially a foreign concept adapted by the locals. Meaning, your concept of engagement, which is based on Western tradition, is perfectly acceptable here, with one minor difference. In Brazil, the engagement ring also serves as the wedding ring. However, during the engagement, the ring is worn on the middle finger of your girlfriend’s right hand, whereas after the wedding, it will be switched to your future bride’s left hand.

It is your wedding day and you’re all set to go. The groomsmen and bridesmaid are matched as a couple on the morning itself, as customary.

Hold on a second, where’s the bride? Take it easy, she’ll be here soon. In Brazilian weddings, the brides are generally encouraged to arrive 10-15 minutes late for the ceremony, as a gentle reminder on the organizational hierarchy in your new home.

After returning from the wedding registration at the Civil Registry Office with your new bride, you will step foot into the party that is also known as your wedding reception. Brazilian wedding, staying true to its roots, are a veritable display of colors and sounds, spiced with delicious local foods and the samba. Your senses are overwhelmed by the exuberant guests, the atmosphere and Pagode (a variation of samba) dancers in the centre of the room.

The dinner tables are clustered haphazardly over the floor, each labeled with the name of Brazilian cities, to allow easier navigation and recognition from the throng of incoming guests. As you and your bride’s arrival began to be noticed by everyone, the band at the corner starts playing the national anthem and everyone stands to attention. As the anthem concludes, your father in law will read a short passage from the Bible to bless the event and the festivities continues right after.

As you sit next to your bride and begun to enjoy the delicious food and the pleasant atmosphere, your groomsmen comes forth and began to drag you towards an unbridle donkey. It is a test to determine your suitability as a husband, a measure of your manhood. All you need to do is ride the donkey bareback for a full turn. Rest easy though, for your groomsmen will keep a tight hold on you and you can claim your bride back after that.

One final custom before the night ends. You have to carry your bride into your home with your right foot leading. This will ensure that the both of you always walk in the right path.

Regulation

Marriage in Brazil is a two-step process. First, the couple has to go to the Cartório de Registro Civil (Civil Registry Office) and register their intention to marry. Copies of your identification and travel papers are required and your originals must be brought along for sighting purposes. In the event that any of your documents are not in Portuguese, it has to be translated by a licensed public translator and endorsed by a Tabelião (notary). The issuance of a marriage license would take approximately 30 days.

Upon receipt of the marriage license, you can now return to the Cartorio to register your marriage. Note that the registration must be conducted before any civil or religious service.